Eragrostis leptophylla Hitchc.

no known common names


Info

Subfamily: Chloridoideae
Genus etymology: Eragrostis = "love grass" [Greek] unclear origin, other etymologies such as "early grass" or "very grass" have also been speculated
Species etymology: leptophylla = "narrow leaf" [Latin] refering to the leaves
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: endemic

Map

 Distribution of Eragrostis leptophylla in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Eragrostis leptophylla Inflorescence
Eragrostis leptophylla Inflorescence
Eragrostis leptophylla Inflorescence
Eragrostis leptophylla Inflorescence

Plant

Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant
Eragrostis leptophylla Plant

Spikelets

Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets
Eragrostis leptophylla Spikelets

Collar

Eragrostis leptophylla Collar

Description

Perennials; culms densely tufted, erect, slender, 6-10 dm tall, glabrous. Sheaths longer than internodes, 5-10 cm long, pilose at throat and ciliate on margins, somewhat pubescent on collar, otherwise glabrous; ligule 0.2-0.5 mm long, ciliate; blades slender, erect, involute, 10-25 cm long, 1-2 mm wide, upper surface villous near base and scaberulous near apex, lower surface glabrous. Panicles slender, spikelike, usually dense, 15-30 cm long, 0.5-0.8 cm wide, the axis and pedicels scabrous or puberulent; spikelets 4-10-flowered, 4-9 mm long, rachilla sparsely pilose; glumes subequal, narrow, 3-5 mm long, as long as or longer than first floret, keel scaberulous toward apex, the apex attenuate, first glume i-nerved, second glume 3-nerved; lemmas imbricate, concealing rachilla, 2-3 mm long, faintly 3-nerved, keel minutely ERAGROSTIS scaberulous toward apex, acute; palea 1.7- 2mm long, keels scaberulous, apex usually truncate and erose. Caryopsis dark red, narrowly ovoid, 0.7-1 mm long, finely rugose.
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )