Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis vatovae (Chiov.) S.M.Phillips

First published in Kew Bull. 37: 159 (1982)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland 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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms 8-18 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 4-10 cm long; 1-3 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 8 cm long; contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 10-16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 10-16 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; exceeding apex of florets, or reaching apex of florets. Lower glume lanceolate; 3-3.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3-3.5 mm long; 1-1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets divergent; free at tip. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 3 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical.
Reference
Eragrostideae. TAC.
[GB]

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

Type
S1, “Baidoa”, Vatova 61 (FT holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 18 cm high; leaves flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle c. 8 cm long, contracted, branched below with the spikelets clustered on short pedicels, racemose above
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets ovate to oblong, c. 11 mm long, c. 16-flowered, with markedly serrate outline, shedding their lemmas from below upwards, the paleas persistent on the tough rhachilla; glumes subequal, lanceolate, 3–3.5 mm long, acuminate; lemmas gibbously ovate in profile with straight keel, membranous, c. 3 mm long, acute; palea-keels scabrid.
Distribution
S1 known only from the type.
Ecology
Altitude c. 400 m.
Note
A little-known species only relatively recently recognized as an Eragrostis.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • 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