Eragrostis lappula Nees

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

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.

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.