Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis ecarinata Lazarides

First published in Austral. Syst. Bot. 10: 114 (1997)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Northern Territory. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths glossy. Culms 60-92 cm long; 4-6 -noded. Leaf-sheaths tight; longer than adjacent culm internode; scaberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate; erect; 3-5 mm long; pale. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.1-0.3 mm long. Collar glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blades curled; 12-25 cm long; 2.5-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose, or hirsute; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 9-22 cm long; 1 cm wide. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-10 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 15-22 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6.5-9 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes thickened; curved; 0.2-0.5 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 15-22 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6.5-9 mm long; 3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes thickened; curved; 0.2-0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or ovate; 1.1-2.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1(-5) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear, or ovate; 1.1-2.5 mm long; 0.6-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; 1(-5) -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate, or orbicular; gibbous; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea orbicular; with auriculate flaps; 2 -veined. Palea keels falling well short of apex. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.4-0.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 0.6-0.7 mm long. Disseminule comprising a floret.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.
Diagnostic
Palea flaps 0.25-0.33 of body length.
[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: 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