Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis saxatilis Hemsl.

First published in Rep. Challenger, Bot. 1(2): 90 (1884)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. & Central St. Helena. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 20-40 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 20-40 cm long; 0.5-1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; aerial, or shorter than basal leaves. Panicle open; linear; 8-16 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5-2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.5-3.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5-3.5 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: middle Atlantic ocean.
Reference
Eragrostideae. WDC 1997.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/67376379/67376385

Conservation
EN - endangered
[IUCN]

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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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