Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis sennii Chiov.

First published in Fl. Somala 2: 460 (1932)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to Kenya. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades convolute; 8-15 cm long; 2-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear; 5-6 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 9-32 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 8-18 mm long; 4 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 9-32 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 8-18 mm long; 4 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 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 recurved at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; 4 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels thickened; winged; narrowly winged. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 2; 0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1.2 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. FTEA.
[GB]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
S3, “Mangab”, Senni 239 (FT holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 30 cm high; leaves flat or inrolled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle 2–10 cm long, sparse and often racemose, the spikelets clustered towards the tip of the stem on short pedicels, or with few-spiculate branches below
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets oblong, 8–18 mm long, the outline conspicuously serrate, 9- to 32-flowered, falling entire; glumes subequal, narrowly lanceolate, 2.5–4 mm long, acuminate; lemmas narrowly ovate in profile, cartilaginous, 3–3.8 mm long, shortly acuminate with recurved tip; palea-keels thickened, each with a narrow wing; anthers 2, 0.75–0.9 mm long.
Distribution
S1–3; Ethiopia, Kenya
Ecology
Altitude range 25–300 m.
[FSOM]

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]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Tufted annual; culms 20 cm. high, erect or ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades narrow, convolute when dry, 8–15 cm. long, 2–3 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle linear, 5–6 cm. long, the spikelets shortly pedicelled along the main axis with 1–2 short branches at its base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 9–32-flowered, narrowly oblong to elliptic-oblong, 8–18 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, green, disarticulating below the glumes at maturity and falling entire; glumes narrowly lanceolate, subequal, 4 mm. long; lemma narrowly ovate in side view, 4 mm. long, strongly keeled, the tip sharply acuminate and turned outwards; palea 2-nerved, the nerves thickened to form narrow wings; anthers 2, 0.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis ovoid, 1.2 mm. long.
Habitat
Roadside; sea-level
Distribution
K7
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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