Eriochloa sericea (Scheele) Munro ex Vasey

First published in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 3: 21 (1892)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kansas to NE. Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 50-100 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 2-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-10; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 1.5-3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis villous. Rhachis angular; villous on surface. Rhachis hairs 2-4 mm long. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; villous; with 1-2 mm long hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.6-4.2 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 ovate; dorsally compressed; 3.6-4.2 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 pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.
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; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.3-0.5 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate.
Distribution
North America: north-central USA, south-central USA, and Mexico.
Reference
Paniceae. Gr Texas 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