Eragrostis Wolf, Gen. Pl. 23. 1776; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 312. 1897; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 495. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 75.1989; Chen & Peterson, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 471; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 82.

Annuals or perennials, often glandular, particularly on leaf sheaths and inflorescences, glands may be raised, crateriform warts or band like patches. Leaf blades linear, narrow, mostly flat; ligule usually reduced to a ciliated rim, rarely membranous. Inflorescence an open, contracted or spike-like panicle. Spikelets 2-many flowered, laterally compressed, pedicelled, awnless, variously disarticulating. Glumes mostly subequal, shorter than lowest lemma and 1-nerved; lemmas 3-nerved, mostly glabrous, imbricate, membranous to coriaceous, acuminate to emarginate, awnless; palea a little shorter than lemma, deciduous or persistent, the keels sometimes long-ciliate, rarely winged. Stamens 2 or 3. Caryopsis usually globose to ellipsoid, smooth or finely striate or reticulate; pericarp sometimes free.

422 species

Eragrostis ciliaris (L.) R. Br. in Tuckey, Narr. Exped. Zaire 478. 1818; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 314. 1897; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 506. 1960; Maheshwari, Illustr. Fl. Delhi f. 252. 1966; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 78. 1989; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 680. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 670. 2004; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 478; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 86; E. lobate Trin., Mem. Acad. Sci. Petersb. ser. 6, 1: 396. 1830; Cynodon ciliaris (L.) Raspail., Ann.- Sci. Nat. (Paris) 5: 302. 1825; Poa ciliaris L., Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 875. 1759.

Tufted annual, culms 5-30 cm, erect or ascending. Leaf blades narrow, linear, 3-8 cm x 2-4 mm, leaf sheaths striate, smooth, bearded at mouth with long hairs; ligule a fringe of short hairs. Inflorescence a contracted cylindric spiciform panicle, 2-4 cm x 5-8 mm. Spikelets ovate, 6-16-flowered, strongly compressed, 2.5-4 mm long, often purplish. Glumes 0.7-1.2 mm long, unequal, ovate-lanceolate, acute, 1-nerved; upper glume longer than the lower. Lemmas oblong-elliptic, 0.9-1.5 mm long, obtuse, mucronulate, 3-nerved, keeled, keels and nerves scabrid. Paleas as long as lemmas and deciduous with them, 2-keeled, keels with long rigid hairs, hairs 0.6- 0.7 mm long. Stamens 2; anthers small, 0.2 mm long. Caryopsis ellipsoid, 0.3-0.5 mm long.

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