Eragrostis exelliana Launert

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

Morphology General Habit

Weak straggling annual; culms slender, 5–40 cm. long.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, 0.5–13 cm. long, 1–3 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle linear to lanceolate, 1–9 cm. long, the spikelets clustered about the short (2–20 mm.) stiff primary branches, the rhachis glabrous or hirsute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3–12-flowered, broadly orate, 1.5–5 mm. long, 1.5–3 mm. wide, dark green, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent; glumes ovate, subequal, 1–1.5 mm. long, with or without a few stiff hairs; lemmas broadly ovate to rotund, 1.2–1.7 mm. long, thinly cartilaginous; palea falling soon after the lemma, the keels narrowly winged and scaberulous; anthers 2, 0.5 mm. long.

Habitat

Around boulders in Isoberlinia, Protea, Philippia woodland; 2200 m.

Distribution

T7

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

Morphology General Habit

Weak straggling annual often forming loose mats; culms up to 20(35) cm tall, mostly decumbent, sometimes erect, usually branched, glabrous at the nodes (but often pilose on the internodes), eglandular; leaf sheaths usually pilose with tubercle-based hairs; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 0.5–8(15) cm × 1–4 mm, linear, usually flat, densely pilose (but glabrescent with age), eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 1.5–10 cm long, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, open, the spikelets clustered about the short stiff primary branches on stout pedicels 0.3–3 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, eglandular, the axis and branches glabrous or pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 2.5–5.5 × 2–2.8 mm, broadly ovate, laterally compressed, 4–11-flowered, the florets disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes subequal, 0.8–1.6 mm long, reaching about 2/3 the way along the adjacent lemmas, keeled, lanceolate in profile, glabrous or thinly pilose, acute at the apex; lemmas 1.3–2 mm long, keeled, ovate or broadly ovate in profile, thinly cartilaginous with distinct but scarcely prominent lateral nerves, at first appressed to the rhachilla, eventually diverging at almost 90° and then those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla clearly visible between them, dark olive-green, sometimes tinged with purple, glabrous, acute or subacute at the apex; palea deciduous with the lemma, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, narrowly but conspicuously winged, the wing margin entire and minutely ciliolate; anthers 2, c. 0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 0.6–0.8 mm long, broadly oblong-elliptic, the surface conspicuously reticulate.

Morphology General Habit

Annual; caespitose. Culms prostrate; 5-40 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 0.5-13 cm long; 1-3 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 1-9 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches 0.2-2 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff; glabrous, or pilose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 3-12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 1.5-5 mm long; 1.5-3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 3-12 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 1.5-5 mm long; 1.5-3 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; 1-1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pilose (sparsely). Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1-1.5 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose (sparsely). Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate, or orbicular; 1.2-1.7 mm long; cartilaginous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels winged; narrowly winged; scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 2; 0.5 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.