Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis aristiglumis Kabuye

First published in Kew Bull. 26: 83 (1971)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-70 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-20 cm long; 2-4 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; 12-28 cm long; with spikelets clumped along branches. Primary panicle branches simple; 1-10 cm long. Panicle branches bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile (subtended by bristles).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising (4-)6-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 2.2-3.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising (4-)6-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 2.2-3.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 2.6-3(-3.6) mm long. Upper glume ovate; 1.5 mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2.6-3(-3.6) mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 1.4 mm long; membranous; dark brown; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex truncate; mucronate. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.8-0.9 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.6 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
Diagnostic
Palea hairs 0.3mm.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual; culms up to 70 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, up to 20 cm. long and 4 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly oblong, 12–28 cm. long, bearded in the axils; primary branches ascending, 1–10 cm. long, racemose, the spikelets subsessile in dense clusters of 1–12 on little side-branches seldom over 5 mm. long; pedicels bearded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets (4–)6–9-flowered, broadly ovate to broadly oblong, 2.2–3.2 mm. long, light brown, breaking up from the apex, the rhachilla fragile; glumes narrowly ovate, subequal, 1.5 mm. long, pubescent on the margin, drawn out into a slender awn 2.6–3(–3.6) mm. long; lemmas oblong, 1.4 mm. long, truncate, mucronate; palea-keels ciliate with stiff hairs 0.3 mm. long; anthers 3, 0.8–0.9 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis ellipsoid, 0.6 mm. long.
Habitat
Deciduous bushland; 900 m.
Distribution
T7 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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