Eragrostis lappula Nees

First published in Fl. Afr. Austral. Ill.: 412 (1841)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial; culms 30–120 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades usually rolled, 10–25 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide, almost glabrous to hoary tomentose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle ovate and spreading, occasionally linear and contracted, 10–30 cm. long, the branches often loosely hirsute at least in the axils.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 5–15-flowered, narrowly oblong, 5–10 mm. long, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent; glumes lanceolate, yellowish, acuminate, the lower 2–2.5 mm. long, the upper 2.5–3 mm.; lemmas lanceolate, 2–3 mm. long, the keels and lateral nerves, or the latter only, ciliate with stiff tubercle-based hairs, brownish or purplish, acute; palea falling soon after the lemmas, the keels ciliate with stiff tubercle-based hairs 0.5–1.2 mm. long; anthers 3, 1.2 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis narrowly lanceolate in outline, terete, 1–1.5 mm. long.
Figures
Fig. 60/9, p. 190.
Habitat
Moist soils at edge of drainage tracts in Brachystegia woodland; 350–1000 m.
Distribution
K7 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 southwards to South Africa
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 120 cm tall, erect, unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; basal leaf sheaths glabrous, chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 10–25 cm × 2–4 mm, linear, involute or rarely flat, glabrous to hoary-tomentose above, eglandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 10–30 cm long, ovate and spreading or linear and contracted, the spikelets evenly distributed on pedicels 2–7 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, loosely pilose in the axils, eglandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 5–10 × 1.5–3 mm, narrowly oblong at first, becoming ovate, laterally compressed, 5–15-flowered, the florets disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes unequal, reaching almost to the apex of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, lanceolate in profile, glabrous, acute at the apex, the inferior 2–2.5 mm long, the superior 2.5–3 mm long; lemmas 2–3 mm long, keeled, lanceolate in profile, thinly membranous with prominent lateral nerves, ± appressed to the rhachilla at first but eventually diverging at 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, brownish or reddish, the lateral nerves and sometimes also the keel with stiff tubercle-based hairs, acute at the apex; palea deciduous with or soon after the lemma, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, ciliate with stiff tubercle-based hairs, these protruding from the sides of the lemma; anthers 3, c. 1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis 1–1.5 mm long, narrowly lanceolate.
[FZ]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30-120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 10-25 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose, or hirsute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or ovate; 10-30 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous, or pilose; bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-15 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; yellow; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5-3 mm long; 1-1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; yellow; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; lanceolate in profile; 2-3 mm long; membranous; dark brown, or purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma lateral veins extending close to apex. Lemma surface tuberculate; rough on veins. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels tuberculate; ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; isodiametric; 1-1.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
Diagnostic
Palea hairs 0.5-1.2mm.
[GB]

Common Names

English
Love grass

Sources

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    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
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    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
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    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. 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 2024. 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
  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/