spikelets oblong, laterally compressed, 2-16 mm long, breaking up at maturity, rhachilla persistent, shedding paleas. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between
lemmas. Glumes similar, deciduous, shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate, up to 1.5 mm long, as long as upper glume, 1-keeled, 1 nerved; lateral nerves absent, apex
acute. Upper glume ovate, 0.7 times length of adjacent lemma, 1-keeled, 1-nerved, apex acute. Florets: fertile florets divergent, free at the tip; fertile lemma ovate, up to
2 mm long, membraneous, keeled, 3-nerved; surface asperulous, apex acute. Palea narrow with margins infolded, keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling
fertile though underdeveloped. Anthers 3, 0.8 mm long. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, ellipsoid, 0.6 mm long.
Notes
Found in North and West Africa, China, India, Indo-China, and Malesia, Australia, Pasific, Mexico, and South America. Grain eaten by birds, good fodder,
grazed by all stock, low to medium grazing value. Distribution at Sulawesi
Central: Toli-Toli, Mt. Gindopo, Alt. 200m. South: Makassar, Alt. 80 m.
Habitat
Growing in open pasture, hill forest, wet sites, pond, marshes, along roadsides, clay and sandy soils, swamps, streams.
Specimen examined
Ramlanto Fanani 647 BO; Papa 324 WALL.
36.3. Eragrostis brownii Kunth Nees ex Steud. Nomencl. Bot. ed. 2 1: 562.
1840. Eragrostis bulbillifera Steud. Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 267. 1854.
Eragrostis polymorpha R. Br. Jedwabn. Bot. Arch. 5: 188. 1924. Eragrostis pubescens R. Br. Steud. Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 279. 1954.
Eragrostis spartinoides Steud. Syn. Pl. Glumac. 1: 265. 1854. Eragrostis zeylanica Nees Meyen. Gramineae : 72-73. 1841.
Megastachya polymorpha Nees P. Beauv. Ess. Agrostogr. : 74-, 167, 175. 1812.
Poa brownii Kunth. Revis. Gramin. 1: 112. 1829.
Plants perennial, caespitose, tufted, forming spreading clumps. Culms 15-50 cm long, slender. Sheaths 3-4 cm long, glabrous and rounded. Ligule a fringe of hairs,
0.2 mm long. Blades 10-25 cm by 1-3 mm, rolled, smooth. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open, 5-15 cm long, ovate, contracted about primary branches. Primary
branches ascending, 2-7 cm long, stiff, scaberulous. Spikelets ascending, solitary.
Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-2 mm long. Fertile spikelets comprising 10-15 florets, with diminished florets at the apex; oblong, 4-5.5 mm long, laterally
compressed, breaking up at maturity. Rhachilla persistent, retaining paleas; fragile above, or becoming fragile after lemmas shed, with the distal florets disarticulating
separately. Glumes similar, deciduous, shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate, 1- 1.7 mm long, as long as upper glume, membraneous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved; lateral nerves
absent, apex acute. Upper glume ovate, 1.5-1.7 mm long, 0.5 times length of adjacent fertile lemma, membraneous, 1-keeled, 1-nerved; lateral nerves absent, apex
acuminate. Florets: fertile lemma ovate, 1.7-2 mm long, chartaceous, keeled, 3- nerved; apex acute. Palea 2-keeled, scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile
though underdeveloped. Stamens 3. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp, ovoid, 0.7 mm long.
Notes
Found in China, Indo-China, Malesia, Australasia, and Pasific. Attractive and decorative, forage, may become invasive.
Distribution at Sulawesi
Celebes.
Habitat
Common in woodland and native pasture, plains, usually near water, on stream banks, moist depressions, waste ground, swampy ground, sandy places, savannah.
Specimen examined
Sabintoe 24 WALL.
36.4. Eragrostis cilianensis Bellardi Vignolo ex Janch. Mitt. Naturwiss. Vereins
