Eragrostis caespitosa Chiov.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial with short horizontal rhizome; culms up to 50 cm tall, slender, erect or ascending, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes but pilose on the internodes; basal sheaths reduced to hard, yellow, glabrous to silky tomentose scales investing the base of the culm, the upper sheaths chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 3–12 cm × 2–4 mm, broadly linear, flat, thinly pilose, pale green and somewhat thin in texture, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 3–13 cm long, narrowly oblong, fairly dense, the spikelets evenly distributed on stout pedicels 0.4–0.7 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils (but the axis pilose), with sticky glandular patches on the branches and branchlets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.5–5.5 × 1.5–2 mm, ovate-oblong, lightly laterally compressed, 4–15-flowered, the florets disarticulating from the apex downwards, the rhachilla fragile; glumes subequal, 0.8–1.4(2) mm long, reaching to beyond the middle of the adjacent lemmas, lightly keeled, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate in profile, glabrous, acute at the apex; lemmas 1.3–1.7 mm long, keeled, narrowly oblong-elliptic in profile, membranous with distinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, pallid or green tinged with purple, dorsally glabrous or asperulous, sometimes with a few short bristles on the keel, eglandular, broadly obtuse and shortly mucronate at the apex; palea glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, ciliate with tubercle-based hairs 0.4–0.7 mm long; anthers 3, 0.7–0.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 0.5–0.6 mm long, elliptic.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type

S1, “Mallable”, Paoli 756 (FT holo.)

Morphology General Habit

Tufted wiry perennial up to 50 cm high, the base invested with hard yellow glabrous to silky-tomentose scales; leaves flat

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle narrowly oblong, 3–13 cm long, rather dense

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets oblong, 2.5–5.5 mm long, 4- to 15-flowered, disarticulating between the florets, the rhachilla fragile; glumes subequal, lanceolate, 1–2 mm long, subacute; lemmas elliptic-oblong in profile, thinly membranous, 1.3–1.7 mm long, smooth or scaberulous, with or without a few bristles on the keel, broadly obtuse and shortly mucronate; palea-keels pectinate-ciliate, the hairs 0.4–0.7 mm long; anthers 3, c. 0.8 mm long.

Distribution

S1; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania

Ecology

Altitude range c. 200 m.

Note

Although widespread in East Africa between 300 and 1600 m, it is known from Somalia only from the type specimen.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident (hard, yellow, glabrous to silky). Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15-50 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 3-12 cm long; 2-4 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; dense; 3-13 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 4-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate, or obovate; laterally compressed; 2.5-5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 4-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate, or obovate; laterally compressed; 2.5-5.5 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 lanceolate; 1-2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1-2 mm long; 0.7-1.2 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 elliptic, or oblong; 1.3-1.7 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 0.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.5-0.6 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.

Diagnostic

Palea hairs 0.4-0.7mm.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial, the base invested with hard yellow glabrous to silky tomentose scales; culms 15–50 cm. high, slender, wiry, erect or ascending.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, 3–12 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide; sheaths glabrous to pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle narrowly oblong, 3–13 cm. long, fairly dense.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 4–15-flowered, oblong, 2.5–5.5 mm. long, breaking up from the apex, the rhachilla fragile; glumes lanceolate, subequal, 1–2 mm. long; lemmas oblong-elliptic, 1.3–1.7 mm. long, smooth or scaberulous, with or without a few very short bristles on the keel, broadly obtuse and shortly mucronate; palea ciliate on the keels, the hairs 0.4–0.7 mm. long; anthers 3, 0.8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 mm. long.

Habitat

Dry sandy soils and in overgrazed or weedy places; 300–1600 m.

Distribution

K1 K2 K4 K7 T1 T2 T3 T5 T6 U1