Eragrostis barrelieri Daveau

Family: Poaceae, Tribe: Eragrostideae


Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

none

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

Mediterranean lovegrass

Primary Disseminule Type

caryopsis alone or ± sheathed by lemma

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Spikelets solitary, pedicelled (pedicels 1–4 mm long, eglandular or glandular), consisting of 5–20(30) fertile florets with similar-looking though diminished sterile florets at apex, oblong to narrowly ovate, laterally compressed, 4–11(20) mm long x 1.1–2.2 mm wide, reddish-purple to greenish, sometimes grayish. Disarticulation between fertile florets such that the palea is persistent and the disseminule is typically the caryopsis ± sheathed by the lemma.

Glumes deciduous, similar, lanceolate, shorter than spikelet, membranous, keeled (eglandular), 1-veined, apices acute. Lower glume 0.9–1.4 mm long (0.5–0.6 length of upper glume). Upper glume 1.2–2 mm long (0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma).

Lemma broadly ovate to oblong, 1.4–1.8(2.6) mm long, membranous to hyaline, yellow, gray or purple, keeled, 3-veined, midvein scabrous but eglandular, lateral veins distinct (relatively opaque, ribbed), apex acute to obtuse.

Palea 1.3–1.7 mm long, hyaline, 2-veined, keels scabrous, apex obtuse to acute.

Caryopsis ellipsoid (outline oblong), slightly laterally compressed, ± terete to somewhat trigonous in cross-section, 0.4–1 mm long x 0.4–0.5 mm wide, orangish-brown, surface smooth to faintly striate, ventral side not grooved, embryo 0.4–0.6 length of caryopsis, ± same color as caryopsis, hilum ± round, dark.

Similar Species

Similar Species Comparison Chart

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, NZBORIC, NZBPI