Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis neesii Trin.

First published in Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 1: 405 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Brazil to N. Argenitna. It is an annual or biennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; short-lived; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Glands annular. Culms 7-30 cm long; 3-4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.5-1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 3-12 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; dense, or loose; 3-11 cm long; 1.5-4.5 cm wide. Panicle branches glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels eglandular, or glandular; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2-8 mm long; 1-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2-8 mm long; 1-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.7-1 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.75-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.3-1.5 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.3-0.4 mm long; purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid, or orbicular; 0.5-0.6 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Fl Entre Rios 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0