Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis omahekensis De Winter

First published in Bothalia 7: 473 (1961)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Namibia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Glands sunken crateriform. Culms erect; 60-80 cm long; 2-4 -noded. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths glandular; keeled; ribbed; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 0.5 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; dense; 6-20 cm long; 2-5 cm wide; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches glandular. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-7 mm long; 0.8-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-7 mm long; 0.8-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5-2 mm long; 1 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; 1.5-2 mm long; 0.8-0.9 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; 1.8-2.2 mm long; chartaceous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.
[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