Common name: Delicate Lovegrass
Eragrostis tenellula (Kunth) Steud. APNI* Synonyms: Eragrostis japonica (Thunb.) Trin. APNI*
Description: Loosely or densely tufted annual to 0.5 m high; culms erect, spreading, smooth, glabrous, often branched; nodes 2, glabrous.
Leaves with orifice glabrous; ligule a ciliate rim with hairs c. 0.25 mm long; blade flat, to 4 mm wide, smooth, glabrous; sheath loosely enclosing culm, smooth, glabrous.
Inflorescence open or contracted, 4–30 cm long, 0.5–12 cm wide; rachis scabrous, glabrous; pedicels to 1 mm long, scabrous, glabrous. Spikelets 1.5–3.5 mm long, to 1 mm wide, florets 3–10; rachilla disarticulating between lemmas. Glumes 0.5–1 mm long, acute, smooth, glabrous, keel scabrous. Lemmas c. 1 mm long, acute, keeled, smooth, glabrous, lateral nerves closer to margins than midnerve. Palea subequal to lemma, 2-keeled, glabrous, keels usually scabrous.
Flowering: in response to rain.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in disturbed areas in dry and tropical areas.
NSW subdivisions: NFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. W.A. S.A. N.T.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
