Poaceae
Eragrostis

Eragrostis subtilis Lazarides

First published in Austral. Syst. Bot. 10: 155 (1997)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central Australia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths hirsute. Culms slender; 50-60 cm long; 4-5 -noded. Culm-internodes eglandular. Leaf-sheaths tight; wider than blade at the collar; eglandular; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs bearded; 3-4 mm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 0.8-1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute, or convolute; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; pilose, or hirsute; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; eglandular; scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle eglandular. Panicle open; ovate; loose, or effuse; 20-30 cm long; 7-14 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading, or drooping; distant; 4-8 cm long. Panicle axis eglandular. Panicle branches stiff; eglandular; smooth; glabrous in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-8 mm long; eglandular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 9-11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 4-4.5 mm long; 0.3-0.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes curved; 0.3-0.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 9-11 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets linear; subterete; 4-4.5 mm long; 0.3-0.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes curved; 0.3-0.5 mm long; obscured by lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes deciduous; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 0.8-1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline, or membranous; without keels, or 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.8-1 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline, or membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 0.9-1 mm long; membranous; keeled; lightly keeled; 1-3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure; stopping well short of apex. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse. Palea with flaps narrower than body; 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea keels falling well short of apex; smooth, or scaberulous; adorned above. Palea apex emarginate, or obtuse. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.1-0.2 mm long; retained within floret, or eventually exserted.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong, or obovoid; dorsally compressed; 0.4-0.5 mm long.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Eragrostideae. Lazarides 1997.
[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

  • 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