Poaceae
Eragrostiella

Eragrostiella bifaria (Vahl) Bor

First published in Indian Forester 66: 270 (1940)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Tanzania, Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China, Queensland. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths herbaceous; distinctly ribbed; glabrous; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 23-56 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.4-0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 4-16 cm long; 0.6-2.1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 1; single; erect; unilateral; 8-22 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets ascending; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 9-50 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; straight, or curved; laterally compressed; 6-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 9-50 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; straight, or curved; laterally compressed; 6-20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or ovate; 1.7-6 mm long; 0.9-1.5 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 1.8-4 mm long; 0.9-1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.9-2.6 mm long; cartilaginous; dark green, or grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea ovate; 0.8-0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; ciliolate. Palea apex entire; obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; isodiametric; trigonous; 0.5-0.6 mm long. Embryo 0.3 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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