Eragrostis echinochloidea

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Common Names

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Description

Family Poaceae

Annual or perennial herbs, or tall woody bamboos . Flowering stems (culms ) jointed , internodes hollow or solid; branches arising singly from nodes and subtended by a leaf sheath and 2-keeled prophyll, often fascicled in bamboos. Leaves arranged alternately in 2 ranks , differentiated into sheath, blade , and an adaxial erect appendage at sheath/blade junction (ligule) ; leaf sheath surrounding and supporting culm-internode, split to base or infrequently tubular with partially or completely fused margins , modified with reduced blade in bamboos (culm sheaths) ; leaf blades divergent, usually long, narrow and flat, but varying from inrolled and filiform to ovate , veins parallel, sometimes with cross-connecting veinlets (especially in bamboos) ; ligule membranous or a line of hairs . Inflorescence terminal or axillary , an open, contracted , or spikelike panicle, or composed of lax to spikelike racemes arranged along an elongate central axis, or digitate, paired , or occasionally solitary; axillary inflorescences often many, subtended by spatheoles (specialized bladeless leaf sheaths) and gathered into a leafy compound panicle; spikelets often aggregated into complex clusters in bamboos. Spikelets composed of distichous bracts arranged along a slender axis (rachilla) ; typically 2 lowest bracts (glumes ) empty, subtending 1 to many florets ; glumes often poorly differentiated from accompanying bracts in bamboos. Florets composed of 2 opposing bracts enclosing a single small flower, outer bract (lemma) clasping the more delicate, usually 2-keeled inner bract (palea) ; base of floret often with thickened prolongation articulated with rachilla (callus) ; lemma often with apical or dorsal bristle (awn ), glumes also sometimes awned . Flowers bisexual or unisexual ; lodicules (small scales representing perianth) 2, rarely 3 or absent, 3 to many in bamboos, hyaline or fleshy ; stamens 3 rarely 1, 2, 6, or more in some bamboos, hypogynous, filaments capillary , anthers versatile; ovary 1-celled, styles (1 or) 2(rarely 3), free or united at base, topped by feathery stigmas, exserted from sides or apex of floret. Fruit normally a dry indehiscent caryopsis with thin pericarp firmly adherent to seed, pericarp rarely free, fleshy in some bamboos; embryo small or large; hilum punctate to linear .

About 700 genera and 11,000 species: widely distributed in all regions of the world.[1]

Genus Eragrostis

Annual or perennial , often glandular particularly on the leaf sheaths and inflorescence. Leaf blades mostly flat, sometimes rolled, rarely pungent ; ligule a line of hairs or sometimes membranous. Inflorescence an open, contracted , spiciform or glomerate panicle, very rarely of racemes on a central axis. Spikelets 2- to many-flowered, laterally compressed , orbicular to vermiform , variously disarticulating . Glumes unequal, deciduous or persistent , 1(-3) -veined. Lemmas membranous to coriaceous , keeled or rounded , glabrous to asperulous or rarely hairy , 3-veined or the veins sometimes very faint and occasionally suppressed , apex entire, obtuse to acuminate, rarely mucronate . Palea keels sometimes winged or ciliate . Stamens 2 or 3. Fruit mostly globose , ellipsoid , or rectangular-prismatic, usually a caryopsis but sometimes the pericarp free .

About 350 species: tropics and subtropics throughout the world; 32 species (11 endemic, one introduced ) in China.[2]

Physical Description

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, Fl. cap. 7:627. 1900

Name verified on 06-Jan-1999 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 21-Apr-2006

Similar Species

Members of the genus Eragrostis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 908 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

E. abessinica · E. abortiva · E. abyssinica · E. acamptoclada · E. acicularis · E. acraea · E. acraea de · E. acuminata · E. acuta · E. acutiflora · E. acutiglumis · E. acutissima · E. adenocoleos · E. advena · E. aegiptioica · E. aegyptiaca · E. aegyptiaca subsp. humifusa · E. aethiopica · E. affinis · E. afghanica · E. agrostoidea · E. airoides (Darnel Love Grass) · E. airoides var. pluriflora · E. alba · E. albensis · E. albescens · E. albida · E. alopecuroides · E. alta · E. alveiformis · E. amabilis · E. amabilis f. albida · E. amabilis f. subfusca · E. amabilis f. varia · E. amabilis var. insularis · E. amanda · E. ambleia · E. ambohibengensis · E. amboinensis · E. amboinicea · E. ambositrensis · E. ambrensis · E. amherstiana · E. amoena · E. amurensis · E. anacrantha · E. anacranthoides · E. ancashensis · E. andicola · E. andongensis · E. angolensis · E. angusta · E. annulata · E. apiculata · E. aquatica · E. arabica · E. araiostachya · E. arenicola · E. argentina · E. arida · E. aristata · E. aristata de · E. aristiglumis · E. articulata · E. articulata var. glabrescens · E. arundinacea · E. aspera · E. astrepta · E. astreptoclada · E. atherstonei · E. atropioides (Hard-Stem Lovegrass) · E. atropurpurea · E. atrovirens (Thalia Love Grass) · E. atrovirens var. ramosa · E. atroviridis · E. attentuta · E. attenuata · E. aturensis · E. aulacosperma · E. aurea · E. auriculata · E. aurorae · E. australasica · E. australiensis · E. autumnalis · E. bagdadensis · E. baguirmiensis · E. bahamensis · E. bahiensis (Bahia Love Grass) · E. bahiensis var. bahiensis · E. bahiensis var. boliviensis · E. bahiensis var. contracta · E. barbata · E. barbeyi · E. barbinodis · E. barbulata · E. barrelieri (Mediterranean Love Grass) · E. barrelieri pygmaea · E. barrelieri subsp. pygmaea · E. barteri

More Info

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Further Reading

• Arnold, T. H. & B. C. De Wet, eds. 1993. Plants of southern Africa: names and distribution. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa no. 62. (Pl SAfr)
• Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960–. Flora zambesiaca. (F Zamb)
• FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. (F NAmer)
• Gibbs-Russell, G. E. et al. 1990. Grasses of southern Africa. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa vol. 58. (Grass SAfr)
• Chen Shouliang, Jin Yuexing, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Liu Liang, Wu Zhenlan, Lu Shenglian, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao, Wang Song, Sun Xiangzhong, Wang Huiqin, Yang Xilin, Wang Chaopin, Li Binggui & Wen Shaobin. 1990. Gramineae (Poaceae) (4). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(1):1401
• Chen Shouliang, Zhuang Tide, Fang Wenzhe, Sheng Guoying, Jin Yuexing, Liu Liang, Sun Bisin, Hu Zhihao & Wang Song. 1997. Gramineae (Poaceae) (5). In: Chen Shouliang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 10(2): 1301
• Liu Liang, Zhu Taiping, Chen Wenli, Wu Zhenlan & Lu Shenglian. Gramineae (Poaceae) (2). In: Liu Liang, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(2): 1405
• Lu Sheng-lian, Sun Yong-hua, Liu Shang-wu, Yang Yong-chang, Wu Zhen-lan, Kuo Pen-chao, Yang Hsi-ling, Wang Chao-pin & Tsui Nai-ran. 1987. Gramineae (3). In: Kuo Pen-chao, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 9(3): 1329
• Wang Zhengping, Ye Guanghan, Yang Yaling, Yu Zehua, Hu Chenhua, Geng Bojie, Feng Xuelin, Jia Liangzhi, Xia Nianhe, Li Dezhu, Zhang Weiping, Xue Jiru, Zhu Zhengde, Zhao Qiseng, Chen Shouliang, Sheng Guoying, Chen Shaoyun, Yao Changyu, Lu Jionglin, Sun Jiliang, Lin Wantao, Yi Tongpei, Zhao Huiru, Wen Taihui & Dai Qihui. 1996. Gramineae (Poaceae) (1).

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 6, 2007.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 28, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)
• USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

• Arizona State University, International Institute for Species Exploration: Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
• USDA PLANTS: USDA PLANTS Database
• Utah State University: USU-UTC Specimen Database

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2666894
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-502341
• GRIN Nomen Number: 27895
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 502341
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMPOA2K0E0
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: EREC
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 37587

Footnotes

1. Shou-liang Chen, De-Zhu Li, Guanghua Zhu, Zhenlan Wu, Sheng-lian Lu, Liang Liu, Zheng-ping Wang, Bi-xing Sun, Zheng-de Zhu, Nianhe Xia, Liang-zhi Jia, Zhenhua Guo, Wenli Chen, Xiang Chen, Yang Guangyao, Sylvia M. Phillips, Chris Stapleton, Robert J. Soreng, Susan G. Aiken, Nikolai N. Tzvelev, Paul M. Peterson, Stephen A. Renvoize, Marina V. Olonova & Klaus Ammann "Poaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 22. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
2. Shou-liang Chen & Paul M. Peterson "Eragrostis". in Flora of China Vol. 22 Page 458, 471, 479, 480. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

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