| Synonyms: |
Eragrostis densa De Wild. |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
Caespitose annual; culms up to 60 cm tall, erect or ascending, branched or unbranched, glabrous at the nodes, eglandular; leaf sheaths glabrous, eglandular; ligule a line of hairs; leaf laminas 2–10 cm × 1.5–3 mm, linear, usually involute, sometimes flat, glabrous, eglandular.Panicle 2.5–16 cm long, ovate or oblong-ovate, moderately dense, the spikelets evenly distributed on pedicels 2–3.5 mm long, the primary branches not in whorls, terminating in a fertile spikelet, thinly pilose in the axils, eglandular.Spikelets 3.5–9 × 1.5–2 mm, oblong, laterally compressed, 6–30-flowered, the lemmas disarticulating from below upwards, the rhachilla persistent; glumes unequal, keeled, narrowly lanceolate in profile, glabrous, eglandular, acute at the apex, the inferior 1–1.3 mm long, reaching to 2/3 the way along the adjacent lemma, the superior 1.4–1.6 mm long, reaching to the middle of the adjacent lemma; lemmas 1.5–1.8 mm long, keeled, narrowly ovate in profile, chartaceous with distinct lateral nerves, diverging from the rhachilla at 45°, those in opposite rows not overlapping, the rhachilla visible between them, light green tinged with dark purple, glabrous, eglandular, acute at the apex; palea persistent or tardily deciduous, glabrous on the flanks, the keels slender, wingless, scaberulous; anthers (2)3, c. 0.3 mm long.Caryopsis 0.3–0.5 mm long, subrotund. |
| Type location: |
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| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | welwitschii: named after the Austrian botanist, Friedrich Martin Welwitsch (1806-1872) |
| Habitat: | |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Tropical Africa |
| Growth form(s): | |
| 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 140. 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 198. Poilecot, P. (2007). Eragrostis species of Zimbabwe Éditions Quae,Versailles, France Pages 194 - 195. (Includes a picture). |