Eragrostis capensis (Thunb.) Trin.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial with short horizontal rhizome; culms up to 120 cm tall, erect or ascending, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; basal leaf sheaths glabrous or tomentose, chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent or sometimes decaying into a cushion of fibres; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 7–35 cm × 2–5 mm, linear, flat or convolute, firm and glaucous, glabrous, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 4–11 cm long, narrowly ovate, open and spreading or linear and contracted, the spikelets shortly pedicelled (1–2 mm) on the primary branches or on short secondary branchlets, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3.5–15 × 3–7 mm, ovate to suborbicular, plump, 3–35-flowered, the florets disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes subequal, 3–4 mm long, reaching to about 4/5 the way along the adjacent lemmas, dorsally rounded, ovate to ovate-elliptic, glabrous, acute to acuminate at the apex; lemmas 2.5–4 mm long, dorsally rounded, broadly elliptic, cartilaginous with distinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at more than 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, brownish-green suffused with purple (the glumes brown throughout), glabrous, the surface granular, subacute at the apex; palea deciduous with or soon after the lemma, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, puberulous; anthers 3, 1.4–1.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis c. 2 mm long, elliptic, dorsally flattened.

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

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect, or decumbent; 10-120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 7-35 cm long; 2-5 mm wide; stiff; glaucous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or ovate; 4-11 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1-2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 3-35 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate to orbicular; laterally compressed; 3.5-15 mm long; 3-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 3-35 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate to orbicular; laterally compressed; 3.5-15 mm long; 3-7 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3-4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; dark brown; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1-3 mm long; 0.4-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; dark brown; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5-4 mm long; cartilaginous; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 1.4-1.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; flattened; 0.5 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.