Poaceae
Eriochrysis

Eriochrysis purpurata (Rendle) Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 92 (1917)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Congo to Tanzania and S. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial, forming dense tussocks; culms 15–60 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 6–15 cm. long, 1–2 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence ovate to oblong, 3–8 cm. long, comprising 4–7 racemes; racemes 1–3 cm. long.
Sessile
Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 5–7 mm. long, the callus bearded with tawny hairs 1/3–2/3 as long as the spikelet; lower glume thinly chartaceous, dull, the nerves visible, ciliate on the margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Pedicelled spikelet 3.5–5 mm. long. Sessile spikelet narrowly elliptic, 5–7 mm. long, the callus bearded with tawny hairs 1/3–2/3 as long as the spikelet; lower glume thinly chartaceous, dull, the nerves visible, ciliate on the margins.
Pedicelled
Pedicelled spikelet 3.5–5 mm. long.
Habitat
Wet hollows; 1500 m.
Distribution
T7 south to Zimbabwe and Angola
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 15-60 cm long. Culm-internodes thin-walled. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 6-15 cm long; 1-2 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-7; borne along a central axis; appressed; linear, or oblong; 1-3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3-8 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; ciliate on margins. 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; 5-7 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; 0.33-0.66 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 5-7 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; 0.33-0.66 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; dull. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; chartaceous; without keels. Lower glume lateral veins distinct. Lower glume surface flat. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; chartaceous; 1-keeled. 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 oblong; 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-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FW 1995.
[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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Like E. pallida, but spikelets 5–7 mm long, callus barbate with tawny hairs 1/3–1/2 the length of the spikelet, and inferior glume thinly chartaceous, dull, the nerves visible.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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

  • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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