Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis bergiana (Kunth) Trin.

First published in Bull. Sci. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 1: 70 (1836)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical 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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths woolly. Culms 10-40 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 0.4-0.8 cm long; 1-1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; dense; 3-8 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches spreading; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4-8 mm long; 2.2-3.8 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4-8 mm long; 2.2-3.8 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2-1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-1.7 mm long; 0.8-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma orbicular; 1.7-2 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.
[GB]

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