Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis parviflora (R.Br.) Trin.

First published in Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St.-Pétersbourg, Sér. 6, Sci. Math. 1: 411 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Australia, New Guinea to New Caledonia. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; short-lived; caespitose. Culms 30-60 cm long; 3-4 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 6-30 cm long; 2-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; 15-30 cm long; 10-20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches capillary. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2-8 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 6-20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 4-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 6-20 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 4-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-2 mm long; 1-1.3 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 lemma lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; membranous; dark green; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; midway between midvein and margin; stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; isodiametric; without sulcus, or sulcate on hilar side; 0.5 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and north-central.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gardner.
[GB]

Sources

  • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0