Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis braunii Schweinf.

First published in Bull. Herb. Boissier 2(App. 2): 41 (1894)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. & E. Tropical Africa to Arabian Peninsula. 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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms 20–90 cm. high, wiry, ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, 5–13 cm. long, 2–3 mm. wide, stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrow, cylindrical, spikelike, 3–15 cm. long, 4–10 mm. wide, sometimes interrupted below, with short appressed branches up to 2 cm. long; pedicels up to 1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 6–12-flowered, narrowly oblong, 4–6 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, greyish green, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent; lower glume lanceolate, 1.2–1.4 mm. long, the upper ovate and 1.7–2–2 mm. long; lemmas broadly ovate, 1.7–2.2 mm. long, membranous with the nerves visible; palea scaberulous on the keels, persistent; anthers 3, 0.4–0.6 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis broadly ellipsoid, 0.7 mm. long.
Habitat
Overgrazed or eroded soils and stony hillsides; 1700–2600 m.
Distribution
K1 K3 K4 K6 T3 U1
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 20-90 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-13 cm long; 2-3 mm wide; stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 3-15 cm long; 0.4-1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5-2 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5-1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 6-14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes definite.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 6-14 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes definite.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.2-1.4 mm long; 0.6-0.7 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.7-2.2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7-2.2 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.4-0.6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.7 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[GB]

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