Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis scaligera Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 277 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is French Guiana to Brazil. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 25-75 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; flat, or involute; 4-8 cm long; 1-2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary. Axillary inflorescences enclosed. Peduncle 5-15 cm long. Panicle open; ovate; 12-18 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3-5 in number; ascending; 1 -nate; sparsely divided; 6-10 cm long; bearing 4-11 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scaberulous; glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 9-19 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6-15 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 9-19 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6-15 mm long; 2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.4-1.9 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.7-2.3 mm long; 0.8-0.9 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; 2-2.5 mm long; membranous; grey, or purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate. Palea keels smooth. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on flanks. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.35-0.7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 0.5-0.6 mm long; smooth.
Distribution
South America: northern South America and Brazil.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Fl Guiana 1995.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • 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 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 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 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0