Eriochrysis laxa Swallen

First published in Phytologia 14: 89 (1966)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Bolivia to Brazil and NE. Argerntina. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 130-150 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 30-60 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; linear to oblong; 1.5-4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 16-22 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis fragile at the nodes; subterete. Rhachis internodes linear. Rhachis internode tip clavate. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; the upper smaller (female). Pedicels linear; 1-2 mm long; ciliate; tip discoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; truncate, or obtuse; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs tawny; 1.5 mm long; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; truncate, or obtuse; 4 mm long; falling entire; deciduous from the base and with accessory branch structures. Spikelet callus bearded; base truncate. Spikelet callus hairs tawny; 1.5 mm long; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume oblong; 2-4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; coriaceous; without keels. Lower glume surface flat; scabrous; glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume hairs 0.5 mm long. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; 0 -veined; without midvein; without lateral veins; ciliate on margins. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 0 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Palea absent or minute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis oblong; 1 mm long.
Distribution
South America: western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
Reference
Andropogoneae. FW 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: 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

    • '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 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