Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis attenuata Hitchc.

First published in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 24: 340 (1927)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Peru to N. Chile. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20-80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 2-4(-7) cm long; 1(-3) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; interrupted; 20-40 cm long; 0.3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed; 0.5-3 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 0.5-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 1 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.2 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 0.6 mm long.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Hitchcock 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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[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

    • '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 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