Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Eriochrysis P.Beauv.

Eriochrysis pallida Munro

This species is accepted, and its native range is Tropical & S. Africa.

[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, about 1·2 m. high
Ecology
Swampy soils.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 40-90 cm long. Culm-internodes thin-walled. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 6-20 cm long; 1-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 5-14; borne along a central axis; appressed; linear, or oblong; 1-3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3-10 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. Rhachis hairs yellow; 4-6 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear; 2-3 mm long. Rhachis internode tip clavate. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; the upper smaller (female). Pedicels linear; 2-3 mm long; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs yellow, or dark brown; 1-1.2 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs yellow, or dark brown; 1-1.2 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; coriaceous; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 2 -veined; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FW 1995.

[FZ]

Gramineae, T. A. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:4. 2002

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culms 30–90 cm high.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3–14 cm long, linear to oblong, of 3–14 racemes each 1–4 cm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Sessile spikelet 3.5–6 mm long, its callus barbate with tawny hairs longer than the spikelet.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet 3.5–6 mm long, its callus barbate with tawny hairs longer than the spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume thinly coriaceous, shining, its nerves indistinct.
Inferior
Inferior glume thinly coriaceous, shining, its nerves indistinct.

[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Caespitose perennial; culms 40–90 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 6–20 cm. long, 1–3 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence narrowly oblong to oblong, 3–10 cm. long, comprising 5–14 racemes; racemes 1–3 cm. long.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 3.5–5 mm. long, the callus bearded with tawny hairs overtopping the spikelet; lower glume thinly coriaceous, shining, the nerves indistinct, ciliate on the margins; upper glume pilose on the keel above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet 3 mm. long. Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 3.5–5 mm. long, the callus bearded with tawny hairs overtopping the spikelet; lower glume thinly coriaceous, shining, the nerves indistinct, ciliate on the margins; upper glume pilose on the keel above.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet 3 mm. long.
Habitat
In swamps; 960–2100 m.
Distribution
T7 T8 tropical and South Africa

Native to:

Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Central African Repu, Ethiopia, Guinea, KwaZulu-Natal, Malawi, Nigeria, Northern Provinces, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Eriochrysis pallida Munro appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Burke [75], South Africa K000280801 syntype Yes
Buchanan [212], South Africa K000280800 Unknown type material Yes
Rehmann, A. [6876], South Africa K000280799 Unknown type material Yes
Zeyher [1793], South Africa K000280798 syntype Yes
Timberlake, J. [5216], Mozambique K000613944 No
Harris, T. [389], Mozambique K000613825 No

First published in W.H.Harvey, Gen. S. Afr. Pl., ed. 2: 440 (1868)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D. & Renvoize, S.A. (1982). Gramineae Flora of Tropical East Africa 3: 451-898.
  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Cope, T.A. (2002). Flora Zambesiaca 10(4): 1-190. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
  • Lewalle, J. (1970). Liste floristique et répartition altitudinale de la flore du Burundi occidental: 1-84. Université officielle de Bujumbura.
  • Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
  • Ndabaneze, P. (1989). Catalogue des Graminées du Burundi Lejeunia; Revue de Botanique, n.s., 132: 1-127.
  • Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • A. Chev. in Rev. Bot. Appliq. 13: 856.
  • F.T.A. 9: 93
  • in Harv., Gen. S. Afr. Pl. ed. 2: 440 (1868)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Cope, T.A. (2002). Flora Zambesiaca 10(4): 1-190. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Hedberg, I. & Edwards, S. (eds.) (1995). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea 7: 1-430. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia & The Department of Systematic Botany, Upps.
  • Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1972). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3(2): 277-574.
  • Lewalle, J. (1970). Liste floristique et répartition altitudinale de la flore du Burundi occidental: 1-84. Université officielle de Bujumbura.
  • Onana, J.M. (2011). The vascular plants of Cameroon a taxonomic checklist with IUCN assessments: 1-195. National herbarium of Cameroon, Yaoundé.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Clayton in Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 3: 466 (1972).
  • D.M. Napper, Grasses of Tanganyika: 93 (1965).
  • Jackson & Wiehe, Ann. list Nyasaland grasses: 41 (1958).
  • Munro in Harvey, Gen. S. Afr. Pl., ed. 2: 440 (1868).

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

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

  • 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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0