Eriochloa acuminata (J.Presl) Kunth

First published in Enum. Pl. 1: 72 (1833)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. U.S.A. to Mexico, N. Argentina. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40-100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 4-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1-2.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5-12 cm long; puberulous. Rhachis angular; pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; scabrous; bearing a few hairs; with 1-1.5 mm long hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above; pubescent; hairy below. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; scabrous; rough above; pubescent; hairy below; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5-2.7 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
North America: north-central USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, and Mexico. South America: southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.
[GB]

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]

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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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