Eragrostis sericata Cope

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths papery; without ribs; villous. Culms erect; 50-95 cm long. Culm-internodes eglandular. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; eglandular; without keel; hirsute. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10-20 cm long; 2-3.5 mm wide; eglandular. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 12-15 cm long. Panicle branches eglandular; glabrous in axils; with insignificant pulvini. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2-5 mm long; eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 11-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 7-8 mm long; 4-4.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 11-13 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 7-8 mm long; 4-4.5 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; rhachilla persistent; retaining paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile florets divergent. Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 2.7-3 mm long; membranous; grey; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; cuneate; fleshy. Anthers 3; 1.2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

Distribution

Africa: southern tropical.

Reference

Eragrostideae. Cope 1996.

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit

Densely caespitose perennial without rhizomes or stolons; culms up to 95 cm tall, erect, unbranched, eglandular, the nodes concealed within the leaf sheaths; basal leaf sheaths densely silky-villous, chartaceous, terete, eglandular, persistent; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas up to 20 cm × 3.5 mm, linear, flat or loosely involute, glabrous or thinly pilose, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 12–15 cm long, ovate, very loose and open, the spikelets evenly distributed on pedicels 2–5 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 7–8 × 4–4.5 mm, elliptic-ovate, laterally compressed, 11–13-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes unequal, reaching to the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, narrowly lanceolate in profile, glabrous, acute at the apex, the inferior c. 1.7 mm long, the superior c. 2 mm long; lemmas 2.7–3 mm long, keeled, narrowly ovate-elliptic in profile, firmly membranous with indistinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at 45°, those in opposite rows not overlapping, the rhachilla visible between them, greyish-green, glabrous, subacute at the apex; palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, pubescent; anthers (?)3, c. 1.2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis not yet seen.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44392875/44397478

Conservation

LC - least concern