| Synonyms: |
Eragrostis decidua Hochst. Eragrostis dekindtii Pilg. Eragrostis passa Rendle Eragrostis pseudonigra Mattei Poa macilenta A. Rich. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
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| Description: |
Caespitose annual; culms up to 60 cm tall, erect or ascending, branched or unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular or rarely with glandular patches below the nodes, these sometimes coalescent into a ring; leaf sheaths glabrous or thinly pilose; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 2–20 cm × 2–5 mm, linear, flat, glabrous, eglandular.Panicle 3–35 cm long, ovate-elliptic, untidily diffuse, the spikelets evenly distributed on slender pedicels 2–12 mm long, the primary branches solitary, paired or the lowermost whorled, terminating in a fertile spikelet, glabrous in the axils, eglandular.Spikelets 3–6 × 1–2 mm, oblong, laterally compressed, 5–14-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes subequal, 1.1–1.5 mm long, reaching ± to the middle of the adjacent lemmas, keeled, lanceolate in profile, smooth or scaberulous, acuminate at the apex; lemmas 1.3–1.6 mm long, keeled, narrowly ovate in profile, membranous with obscure lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at 45°, those in opposite rows not imbricate, the rhachilla visible between them, light green to almost black, smooth or scaberulous, acute at the apex; palea persistent, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scaberulous; anthers 3, 0.3–0.5 mm long.Caryopsis c. 0.5 mm long, broadly oblong. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | macilenta: thin, lean |
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| Altitude range: (metres) | |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Arabia, India, tropical Africa |
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| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Cope, T.A. (1999). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(2) Page 130. Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 104. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 196. Poilecot, P. (2007). Eragrostis species of Zimbabwe Éditions Quae,Versailles, France Pages 170 - 171. (Includes a picture). Troupin, G. & Maquet, P. (1988). Poaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume IV Page 256. (Includes a picture). |