Poaceae
Eulalia

Eulalia aurea (Bory) Kunth

First published in Révis. Gramin. 1: 160 (1829)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya to S. Africa, W. Indian Ocean, Indo-China, Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; mat forming, or caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent, or pilose. Culms 50-150 cm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 3-15 cm long; 3-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2-4(-15); digitate; 3-14 cm long. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete; pilose on surface; villous on margins. Rhachis hairs dark brown; 1 mm long. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip transverse. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels linear; angular; villous.
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; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; attached transversely.
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; deciduous from the base, or with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus base obtuse; attached transversely.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; cartilaginous; dark brown; 2-keeled; keeled above. Lower glume intercarinal veins distinct. Lower glume surface pilose. Lower glume hairs dark brown. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume muticous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets with vestigial lower floret. Fertile lemma cuneate; 1 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex lobed; 2 -fid; incised 0.3 of lemma length; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; geniculate; 0-20 mm long overall; with twisted column. Column of lemma awn hispidulous. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: Indo-China and Malesia. Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culms 50–150 cm high, ascending from a tuft or geniculately decumbent and mat-forming.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminas 3–6 mm wide, glabrous, acuminate to a filiform apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 2–4(15) racemes each 3–14 cm long, villous with rusty-brown to golden hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3.5–4.5 mm long, narrowly elliptic-oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume convex on the back, with 2–3 faint intercarinal nerves, brown, fulvously pilose, truncate.
Inferior
Inferior lemma reduced to a little scale or absent. Inferior glume convex on the back, with 2–3 faint intercarinal nerves, brown, fulvously pilose, truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma bifid for 1/3 its length, with or without a puberulous awn up to 20 mm long. Inferior lemma reduced to a little scale or absent.
Superior
Superior lemma bifid for 1/3 its length, with or without a puberulous awn up to 20 mm long.
[FZ]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms slender, 50–150 cm. high, ascending from a tussock or geniculately decumbent to form a mat.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades mostly 3–15 cm. long, 3–6 mm. wide, glabrous, acuminate to a filiform tip; basal sheaths glabrous or silky pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of 2–4(–15) racemes each 3–14 cm. long, villous with rusty brown hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly elliptic-oblong, 3.5–4.5 mm. long; lower glume convex on the back with 2–3 faint intercarinal nerves, brown, fulvously pilose, truncate; lower lemma a little square scale or absent; upper lemma bifid for 1/3 its length, with or without a puberulous awn up to 20 mm. long.
Habitat
Seasonal swamps; 300–1800 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K7 T1 T2 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U4 southwards to South Africa
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

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    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

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    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/