Eragrostis gummiflua Nees

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Glands elongated. Culms 30-90 cm long. Culm-internodes glandular. Leaf-sheaths glandular; viscid. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 25-50 cm long; 2-4.5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 10-30 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches bearing spikelets almost to the base. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 5-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-4 mm long; 1-1.8 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 5-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5-4 mm long; 1-1.8 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.5-0.8 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 0.4-0.5 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

Reference

Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 100(130) cm tall, erect, usually unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, with elongate sticky glands below the nodes; basal leaf sheaths glossy and glabrous (rarely thinly pilose), coriaceous, terete, with sticky glands below the collar, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 10–25(35) cm × 1.5–5 mm, narrowly linear, usually convolute, sometimes flat, glabrous or loosely and softly pilose, rather firm, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 10–35 cm long, narrowly oblong to oblong or lanceolate, rather dense, the spikelets densely clustered on short secondary branchlets and with short stout pedicels 0.2–1 mm long, the primary branches ascending, rarely somewhat spreading, not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, oblong to narrowly elliptic, lightly laterally compressed, 5–11-flowered, the florets disarticulating from the apex downwards, the rhachilla fragile; glumes unequal, lightly keeled, reaching to just beyond the middle of the adjacent lemmas, scaberulous on the keel, the inferior 0.7–1.5 mm long, lanceolate in profile, acute or subacute at the apex, the superior 1.3–1.6 mm long, broadly lanceolate in profile, acute or subacute at the apex; lemmas 1.4–1.7 mm long, lightly keeled, oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblong in profile, firmly membranous with distinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at less than 45°, those in opposite rows not overlapping, the rhachilla visible between them, dull green, brownish or tinged with purple, scaberulous on the keel above, obtuse to subacute at the apex; palea glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scaberulous towards the apex; anthers 3, 0.6–1.1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis c. 0.6 mm long, narrowly elliptic.