Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis remotiflora De Winter

First published in Bothalia 7: 477 (1961)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Africa. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10-55 cm long; 1-4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glandular; keeled. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 8-17 cm long; 2-3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade midrib prominent beneath. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins glandular. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open; ovate; 5-20 cm long; 3-14 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 1-2 -nate; whorled at lower nodes. Panicle branches eglandular, or glandular; glabrous in axils, or bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; 1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; 1 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 mm long; 0.25-0.33 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 1 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 appressed to rhachilla; overlapping 0-0.1 their length. Fertile lemma ovate; 1-1.8 mm long; membranous; dark green, or grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous; eciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 0.3-0.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; sulcate on hilar side. Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Gr S Afr 1993.
[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