Eragrostis multiflora Trin.

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

Morphology General Habit

Loosely tufted annual; culms 30–100 cm. high, erect or ascending.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades flat, up to 20 cm. long, 5 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle ovate, 7–30 cm. long, very loose and open, the spikelets trembling on long fine pedicels, sometimes bearded in the axils.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 10–60-flowered, linear, 5–25 mm. long, 1.5–2 mm. wide, the lemmas closely imbricate and covering the rhachilla, purplish, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent; glumes unequal, subacute, the lower narrowly ovate and 0.8–1.2 mm. long, the upper ovate and 1.2–1.5 mm. long; lemmas broadly ovate, 1.5–1.7 mm. long, obtuse (ovate and subacute in side view); palea scabrid on the keels, persistent; anthers 2, 0.3–0.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis subglobose to broadly ovoid, 0.4–0.6 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 62/5, p. 196.

Habitat

Roadsides, farmland and other weedy places; sea-level to 1600 m.

Distribution

throughout tropical Africa and in India K2 K5 T1 T4 T6 T8 U1 U2 U3 U4

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

Morphology General Habit

Loosely caespitose annual; culms up to 100 cm tall, erect or ascending, unbranched or rarely branched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; leaf sheaths glabrous or thinly pilose, eglandular; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 4–18 cm × (1)2.5–5.5 mm, linear, flat or sometimes involute, glabrous or thinly pilose, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 14–35(50) cm long, ovate, open and very lax, the spikelets trembling on long fine pedicels up to 20 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous or pilose in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 4–33 × 1.5–2.5 mm, linear to narrowly ovate-elliptic, laterally compressed, (7)15–60-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent or eventually breaking up; glumes unequal, keeled, glabrous, eglandular, acute at the apex, the inferior 1.5–1.8 mm long, reaching to 4/5 the way along the adjacent lemma, narrowly ovate in profile, the superior 1.7–1.9 mm long, reaching to the middle of the adjacent lemma, lanceolate in profile; lemmas 1.6–2 mm long, keeled, ovate in profile, chartaceous with distinct lateral nerves, scarcely diverging from the rhachilla, those in opposite rows imbricate and concealing the rhachilla, pale green or straw-coloured, usually tinged with purple, sometimes asperulous on the keel but usually glabrous, eglandular, subacute at the apex; palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scaberulous; anthers 2, 0.3–0.5 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis 0.5–0.75 mm long, subrotund to broadly ovate.

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

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

Morphology General Habit

Loosely tufted annual 60–90 cm. high

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Pretty trembling panicles, and pallid spikelets tinged light brown or purple

Ecology

Roadsides and waste places.

Morphology General Habit

Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-100 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4-20 cm long; 3-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins eglandular. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 7-30 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; eglandular; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 10-60 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5-25 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 10-60 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5-25 mm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.8-1.2 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 ovate; 1.2-1.5 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile florets divergent; imbricate to tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5-1.7 mm long; membranous; purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct; midway between midvein and margin. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 2; 0.3-0.5 mm long. Stigmas 2.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid, or orbicular; 0.4-0.6 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: western Asia and Arabia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.