Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis invalida Pilg.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 34: 129 (1904)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is W. & W. Central Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit
A densely tufted perennial 15–90 cm. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
The panicle usually loose and open
Ecology
Inselbergs and rock outcrops.
[FWTA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15-90 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 10-20 cm long; 2-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 5-15 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 7-35 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6-13 mm long; 4-5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 7-35 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6-13 mm long; 4-5 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; 2-2.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2-2.2 mm long; 0.5-0.7 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 ovate; 3-4 mm long; membranous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1-1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; 1-3 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FWTA.
[GB]

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
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0