Eragrostis volkensii Pilg.

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

Morphology General Habit

Tufted perennial with straggling matted culms; culms slender, wiry, 40–120 cm. long, procumbent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades cauline, flat or rolled, 2–8 cm. long, 1–5 mm. wide, tapering from base to tip, reflexed.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle ovate, 3–13 cm. long, the spikelets shortly pedicelled (1–3 mm.) on the stiffly spreading primary branches or short secondary branchlets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 6–13-flowered, ovate, 3.5–7 mm. long, 1.5–4 mm. wide, olive-green, breaking up from the base, the rhachilla persistent; glumes very broadly ovate, subequal, 0.9–1.2 mm. long; lemmas rotund to oblate (broadly ovate in side view), 1.3–2.5 mm. long, loosely contiguous, firmly cartilaginous, dully shining, the nerves indistinct, obtuse; palea falling soon after the lemma, the keels winged (wings ± 0.2 mm. wide) and scaberulous; anthers 3, 1 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis narrowly ovoid, 1 mm. long.

Figures

Fig. 61/7, p. 193.

Habitat

Upland grassland, often on damp soils; 1700–3300 m.

Distribution

K4 T1 T2 T4 T7 U1 Cameroun and Zaire to South Africa (Transvaal)

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Caespitose perennial with straggling matted culms, without rhizomes or stolons; culms slender, wiry, up to 120 cm long, erect, procumbent or scandent, branched or unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; leaves all cauline, the sheaths glabrous; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 2–8 cm × 1–5 mm, linear and tapering, flat or involute, reflexed, glabrous, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 3–13 cm long, ovate, open, the spikelets shortly pedicelled (1–3 mm) on stiffly spreading primary branches or on short secondary branchlets, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3.5–7 × 1.5–4 mm, ovate, laterally compressed, 6–13-flowered, the florets disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes subequal, 0.9–1.2 mm long, reaching the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, ovate in profile, glabrous, obtuse at the apex; lemmas 1.3–2.5 mm long, keeled, broadly ovate in profile, firmly cartilaginous with indistinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at c. 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, dark olive-green, glabrous, obtuse at the apex; palea deciduous with or soon after the lemma, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, narrowly but conspicuously winged, the wing margin entire; anthers 3, 1–1.3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis c. 1 mm long, narrowly ovate.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Culms prostrate; 40-120 cm long; wiry. Leaves cauline. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades reflexed; flat, or convolute; 2-8 cm long; 1-5 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 3-13 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches stiff. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; 1-3 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 6-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5-7 mm long; 1.5-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 6-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 3.5-7 mm long; 1.5-4 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 ovate; 0.9-1.2 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 0.9-1.2 mm long; 0.5-0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma orbicular, or oblate; ovate in profile; 1.3-2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; dark green; shiny; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea keels winged; conspicuously winged; scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1 mm long.

Distribution

Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

Reference

Eragrostideae. FTEA.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Perennial with a small stiff panicle, and slender wiry many-noded culms 30–90 cm. high, forming a straggly growth from a dense tussock.