Poaceae
Ehrharta

Ehrharta villosa Schult.f.

First published in J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 7: 1374 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. & S. Cape Prov. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated; not obviously scaly; glabrous. Butt sheaths papery. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 100-150 cm long; 2-5 mm diam.; woody; not swollen at the base. Culm-internodes solid. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule; involute; 1.5-13 cm long; 4-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an unspecialized leaf-sheath, or an inflated leaf-sheath; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf. Panicle open, or contracted; linear; 4-26 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose, or simple. Spikelets spreading; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; curved.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 11-18 mm long; 3-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between basal sterile florets. Floret callus bearded.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 11-18 mm long; 3-4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes elongated between basal sterile florets. Floret callus bearded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 8-13 mm long; 0.7-0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 8-9 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 9-18 mm long; 0.75-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5-9 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 6-10 mm long; 1 length of fertile lemma; cartilaginous; 1-keeled; villous; acute; mucronate, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0.5-3 mm long. Lemma of upper sterile floret elliptic; 6-10 mm long; 1 length of lower sterile floret; cartilaginous; villous; obtuse; mucronate, or awned. Awn of upper sterile floret 0.5-3 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6-8 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex truncate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels approximate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 6; 6-8.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis ovoid; 5.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: south. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. South America: southern South America.
Reference
Ehrharteae. Gibbs-Russell.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0