Eragrostis brainii (Stent) Launert

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 60-130 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-20 cm long; 1-2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1-2.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 13-20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3-3.5 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy at tip.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3-3.5 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pilose; hairy at tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.6-0.75 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-2 mm long; 0.6-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 2.3-2.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 1.3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with tardily free pericarp; oblong, or orbicular; 1 mm long; striate.

Distribution

Africa: southern tropical.

Reference

Eragrostideae. WDC.

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 130 cm tall, erect, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes (but pilose on the internodes), eglandular; basal leaf sheaths pilose or glabrescent, chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent or rarely decaying into fibres; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 10–25 cm × 2–3 mm, linear, involute, glabrous or thinly pilose, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 13–28 cm long, broadly linear with ascending or appressed strictly racemose branches, the spikelets secund along the whole length of the branches (except for the naked 3–5 mm at the extreme base) on pedicels 0.3–0.4 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.5–3.5 × 1–1.5 mm, ovate or elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed, 3–4-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards but the rhachilla becoming fragile early on; glumes unequal, reaching to about the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, lanceolate to narrowly ovate in profile, scaberulous on the keel, acute at the apex, the inferior 1.3–1.5 mm long, the superior 1.6–2 mm long; lemmas 2.2–2.5 mm long, keeled, narrowly ovate in profile, firmly membranous with somewhat obscure lateral nerves, ± appressed to the rhachilla, those in opposite rows scarcely imbricate, the rhachilla just visible between them, green or variegated with purple, faintly scaberulous on the keel, acute at the apex; palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scabrid; anthers 3, 0.8–1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 0.6–0.8 mm long, broadly ovate.