Eragrostis congesta Oliv.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 120 cm tall, erect or ascending, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes (but often pilose on the internodes), eglandular; basal leaf sheaths glabrous, chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 10–20 cm × 3–4 mm, linear, usually flat, loosely pilose with tubercle-based hairs, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 6–30 cm long, linear, the axis glabrous to hirsute, the spikelets on short barbate pedicels in 2–8 globular or ovoid clusters 0.5–2 cm in diameter, these distant along the central axis, but often the uppermost confluent and sometimes the lowermost branched, the short primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3–10 × 1.2–2 mm, narrowly oblong, laterally compressed, 4–22-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla fragile and breaking off above the glumes soon after the lower lemmas have begun to fall; glumes subequal, 1.2–2 mm long, reaching to just beyond the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, lanceolate in profile, glabrous, acuminate at the apex; lemmas 1.5–2 mm long, keeled, ovate in profile, membranous with distinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at c. 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, grey-green flushed with purple, glabrous, acuminate at the apex, with or without an awn-point up to 0.5 mm long (the smallest spikelets with lemma merely acute or even obtuse and mucronate); palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scaberulous to scabrid; anthers 3, 0.3–0.4 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis c. 0.5 mm long, broadly elliptic.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-110 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-20 cm long; 3-4 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle glomerate (2-8 globular or ovoid clusters 0.5-2cm diam); linear, or oblong; interrupted, or continuous; 6-30 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous, or pilose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels villous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 4-22 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-10 mm long; 1.2-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 4-22 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3-10 mm long; 1.2-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas; fragile above; with the distal florets falling as a whole.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2-2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1.2-2 mm long; 0.8-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5-2 mm long; membranous; grey and purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 0.3-0.4 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.5 mm long.

Distribution

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

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial; culms 30–110 cm. high, erect.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, 10–20 cm. long, 3–4 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 6–30 cm. long, comprising 2–8 globular or ovoid clusters of spikelets 0–5–2 cm. in diameter, these distant along the central axis, but often the uppermost confluent, and sometimes the lowermost branched; axis glabrous to hirsute, pedicels bearded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 4–22-flowered, narrowly oblong, 3–10 mm. long, 1.2–2 mm. wide, grey-green flushed with purple, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla breaking off above the glumes soon after the lower lemmas commence to fall; glumes narrowly ovate, subequal, 1.2–2 mm. long, acuminate; lemmas broadly ovate, 1.5–2 mm. long, acuminate, with or without an awn-point up to 0.5 mm. long (in the smallest spikelets merely acute, or even obtuse and mucronate); palea scaberulous on the keels, persistent; anthers 3, 0.3–0.4 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis broadly ellipsoid, 0.5 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 64/3, p. 226.

Habitat

Deciduous bushland, wooded grassland and moist soils, often in weedy places; 90–2000 m.

Distribution

K5 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1