Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis perennans Keng

First published in Sunyatsenia 3: 16 (1935)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. China to Hainan. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms erect; 20-120 cm long; 1-2 mm diam.; 2-3 -noded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10-30 cm long; 3-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 7-30 cm long; 3-12 cm wide. Panicle branches scaberulous; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-5 mm long; scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 7-28 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-18 mm long; 2-2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.7 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 7-28 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5-18 mm long; 2-2.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes 0.7 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1.2-1.8 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5-2 mm long; 0.66-0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 2-3 mm long; membranous; pallid, or purple; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea bowed outwards; 1.5-2 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric; 0.8-1 mm long.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: Indo-China.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Keng 1996.
[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