Eriochloa procera (Retz.) C.E.Hubb.

tropical cupgrass


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Eriochloa = "wooly grass" [Greek] refering to the pubescence on the pedicels and glumes
Species etymology: procera = "very tall" [Latin] presumeably refering to the size of the plant, but it is not especially tall compared to other members of the genus
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1925

Map

 Distribution of Eriochloa procera in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Eriochloa procera Inflorescence
Eriochloa procera Inflorescence
Eriochloa procera Inflorescence
Eriochloa procera Inflorescence

Plant

Eriochloa procera Plant
Eriochloa procera Plant

Habit

Eriochloa procera Habit

Spikelets

Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets
Eriochloa procera Spikelets

Description

Annual; culms 20–100 cm. high, erect or geniculately ascending. Leaf-blades 2–30 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide. Inflorescence 4–20 cm. long; racemes 2–10 cm. long, the rhachis puberulous, triquetrous, bearing paired spikelets; pedicels commonly glabrous, those of a pair often fused below. Spikelets lanceolate, (2.5–)3–4 mm. long, thinly pubescent; lower glume absent; upper glume acute to acuminate; lower floret represented only by a lemma; upper lemma with a mucro 0.3–0.5 mm. long.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D. & Renvoize, S.A. 1982. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Gramineae (Part 3). A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam. 448 pp. )

Habit: Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20-100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 2-30 cm long; 2-4 mm wide. Inflorescences: Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2-10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 4-20 cm long. Rhachis angular; puberulous on surface. Spikelet packing regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels free, or fused to each other; united below; oblong; glabrous. Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate, or acuminate; (2.5-)3-4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous. Fertile Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate, or acuminate; (2.5-)3-4 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; glabrous. Glumes: Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate; muticous. Florets: Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute, or acuminate; muticous. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.3-0.5 mm long overall. Palea involute; indurate. Distribution: Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, northwestern, and north-central. South America: northern South America and western South America.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Available at https://powo.science.kew.org )

Cespitose annuals; culms numerous, erect, 5-15 dm tall, branching somewhat above base, glabrous to slightly puberulent, nodes puberulent. Sheaths open, glabrous to puberulent, loosely clasping the stem, especially near base, margins overlapping, ciliate; ligule ca. 1 mm long, ciliate; blades flat, 25-40 cm long, 3-12 mm wide, smooth, sparsely pubescent, margins scabrous. Inflorescences paniculate, composed of 6-8 racemes, the racemes alternate on the axis, appressed to ascending, 2.5-6 cm long, rachis flattened, ca. 0.5 mm wide, puberulent, winged, pedicels long-pilose at apex with hairs 2-3 mm long; spikelets 1-2 per rachis, ovoid, 4-5 mm long; glumes unequal, first glume purple to green, reduced, 0.3-0.4 mm long, forming a small bead-like cuff surrounding base of the spikelet above the point of disarticulation, second glume chartaceous, ovate, 4-5 mm long, long-pilose, 5-nerved, apex acuminate to aristate; first lemma ovate, 3-4 mm long, long-pilose, 5-nerved, apex acuminate; second lemma indurate, elliptic, slightly dorsally compressed, 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, rugulose, margins clasping palea, apex mucronate; palea elliptic, ca. 2 mm long, similar in texture to the lemma, margins inrolled, apex rounded. Caryopsis ellipsoid, dorsally compressed, 1.5-5 mm long. [2n = 36.]
(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 )