Poaceae
Moorochloa

Moorochloa eruciformis (Sm.) Veldkamp

First published in Reinwardtia 12: 139 (2004)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Medit. to Indo-China and Africa. It is an annual 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]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 60 cm high, slender, geniculately ascending
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, glabrous or pubescent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 3–14 racemes on an axis 1–8 cm long; racemes 0.5–2.5 cm long, secund, bearing single spikelets imbricate on a triquetrous rhachis
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic, 1.7–2.7 mm long, pubescent, subacute, without a stipe; lower glume up to 1/5 the length of the spikelet; upper glume adjacent to the lower; upper lemma readily deciduous, smooth and shining, obtuse.
Distribution
S1, 2 Mediterranean region eastwards to India and southwards to South Africa.
Ecology
Altitude range 300–400 m.
Vernacular
Kule-kule (Somali).
[FSOM]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/164167/5761578

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual; culms 10–60 cm. high, slender, geniculately ascending.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2–15 cm. long, 2–6 mm. wide, glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 3–14 racemes on an axis 1–8 cm. long; racemes 0.5–2.5 cm. long, secund, bearing single spikelets imbricate on a triquetrous rhachis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic, 1.7–2.7 mm. long, pubescent (rarely glabrous or villous), subacute; lower glume a tiny scale 0.2–0.5 mm. long (up to 1/5 the length of the spikelet); upper lemma readily deciduous, smooth, shiny, obtuse.
Habitat
Damp grassland, particularly on black clays; 500–2200 m.
Distribution
South Africa to the Mediterraneaneastwards to India K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T5 T7 U1 U4
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms decumbent; slender; 10-60 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2-15 cm long; 2-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-14; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 0.5-2.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1-8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; subacute; 1.7-2.7 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; subacute; 1.7-2.7 mm long; falling entire; readily shedding fertile florets.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2-0.5 mm long; 0.1-0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent, or villous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent, or villous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5-2.5 mm long; indurate; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, and China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern. South America: Caribbean and southern South America.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 10–60 cm. high, geniculately ascending.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 3–14 racemes, these 0.5–2.5 cm. long, bearing single spikelets on a triquetrous rhachis, sometimes with a secondary racemlet at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.7–3 mm. long, pubescent (very rarely glabrous), subacute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume a tiny scale up to 1/5 length of spikelet.
Inferior
Inferior glume a tiny scale up to 1/5 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Superior floret readily deciduous, its lemma smooth, shiny and obtuse.
Superior
Superior floret readily deciduous, its lemma smooth, shiny and obtuse.
[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 Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images