Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis divergens R.L.Barrett & P.M.Peterson

First published in Austral. Syst. Bot. 33: 471 (2020)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Australia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 30-60 cm long; 1-5 -noded. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths loose; striately veined; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 1-2.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pilose above. Panicle open; oblong; 7-15 cm long; 6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2-3.5 cm long. Panicle axis angular; scaberulous; pilose. Panicle branches flexuous; scabrous; pilose. Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear; 1-2 mm long; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 8-11 mm long; 1.3-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes curved; 1-1.7 mm long; scaberulous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; laterally compressed; 8-11 mm long; 1.3-1.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes curved; 1-1.7 mm long; scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-3 mm long; 0.66-0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3-4 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets increasing in size upwards; with the lowest dissimilar. Lowest fertile lemma 0.75-0.9 length of adjacent lemma; lobed (emarginate); mucronate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; dorsally straight along back; 3.2-10.7 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous. Lemma apex acute, or acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2-4.7 mm long overall. Palea 2.8 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; ciliolate. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets 7-8 in number; barren; rudimentary. Apical sterile lemmas awned; 1 -awned. Apical sterile lemma awns 10-13 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; 1.1-1.7 mm long.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Blake.
[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

    • 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