Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis lepida (A.Rich.) Hochst. ex Steud.

First published in Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 269 (1854)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Tropical Africa to Kenya, Arabian Peninsula. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 40 cm high; leaves flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 3–10(–15) cm long, open, delicate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic to oblong, 2.2–3 mm long, 4- to 10-flowered, the florets loose and divergent, covered by the spreading palea-hairs, disarticulating between the florets, the rhachilla fragile; glumes unequal, lanceolate, the lower 0.6–0.9 mm long, acute, the upper 0.9–1.1 mm long, often mucronate; lemmas oblong in profile, thinly membranous, (0.8–)1.1–1.2 mm long, scaberulous, truncate, mucronate; palea-keels pectinate-ciliate with tubercle-based hairs 0.3–0.4 mm long; anthers 2, 0.1–0.15 mm long.
Distribution
N2, 3; S3
Ecology
Altitude range 900–1000 m.
[FSOM]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms 10-40 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2-10 cm long; 1-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 3-10(-15) cm long. Panicle branches capillary. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2.2-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2.2-3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla deciduous; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.6-0.9 mm long; 0.6-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9-1.1 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma oblong; (0.8-)1.1-1.2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex truncate; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels tuberculate; pectinate (hairs 0.3-0.4mm). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.1-0.15 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: north and northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. TAC.
[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 Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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