Global description
Eragrostis amabilis is a delicate erect annual grass that forms loose tufts, 6 to 50 cm high. The culm is glabrous with dark nodes. The leaf is elongated, linear, with sharp pointed tip, glabrous, with scabrous margin. The ligule is shortly ciliated, framed by long hairs. The inflorescence is a loose and branched, pyramidal to elliptical panicle to spiciform panicle, with very fine twigs provided with a tuft of hairs at the base. It is composed of flattened pedicellate spikelets containing 4 to 11 flowers, arranged sparsely. The spikelets disintegrate from the top to the base. Paleas are ciliate on the keels. Grain, ellipsoid shape, is small, 0.5 mm on average.
General habit
Erect annual grass, with delicate stems in loose clumps. Smaller to medium size plant that measures 6 to 50 cm high.
Underground system
The root system is fasciculate.
Culm
The culm is slender, erect or bent at the base and then erect, simple or branched. The nodes are brown in colour.
Leaf
The sheath has a margin extensively ciliated. The ligular area is bordered with long flexuous hairs. The ligule is reduced to a line of short hairs. The lamina is linear, narrowed at the base, extensively tapering to the apex in a sharp point. It is flat or rolled, glabrous, with scabrous margin. It measures 5 to 9 cm long and 2 to 5 mm wide.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is an open and branched panicle, elliptical to pyramidal, which measures 2 to 20 cm (up to 30 cm) long and 2 to 8 cm wide. It is composed of fine solitary twigs, 1 to 4 cm long, erect or spreading, whose base is generally provided with a tuft of long hairs. These branches have glands, yellowish in color, which are non-sticky. The spikelet is pedunculate, flat, oblong ovoid, 1.5 to 2.5 mm long and 1 to 1.5 mm wide. It is often pinkish. It contains 4 to 11 flowers. The spikelets are dislocated from the top to the base. There is a variety with a spiciform and norrow panicle that corresponds to the previously named
E. tenella var.
insularis C.E.Hubb (Flore des Mascareignes) which is now included in
E. amabilis.
Spikelet
The glumes are unequal to subequal. They measure between 0.5 and 1 mm long. They are oval, pointed at the top, uni-nervate, keeled and scabrous on the keel. The lower lemma is oval-oblong, truncated at the top, 3-veined, scabrous on keels. It measures 0.5 to 1 mm long. The upper lemma is slightly shorter. It has two keels long ciliate (0.1 to 0.3 mm) not exceeding the body of the adjacent lower lemma. The flower has 3 stamens.
Grain
The grain is ellipsoid. It measures 0.4 to 0.6 mm long.