Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis lacunaria F.Muell.

First published in First Gen. Report Govt. Bot.: 20 (1853)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Australia. It is an annual or perennial.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Culms 22-37 cm long; wiry; 3-5 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or papillose; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs lacking, or ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades involute; 2-7 cm long; 1-2 mm wide; stiff.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 11-16 cm long; 6-10 cm wide; 0.5 of culm length. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1 -nate; branching divaricately; 3-6 cm long. Panicle branches stiff. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-2 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 11-33 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed, or subterete; compressed slightly; 6-18 mm long; 0.75-1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 11-33 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed, or subterete; compressed slightly; 6-18 mm long; 0.75-1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75-1 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. 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 obscure; close to margins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; laterally compressed; sulcate on hilar side; 0.5 mm long.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gr C Austral 1994.
[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

  • 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