Aeluropus

Aeluropus is a genus of plants in the Poaceae family, native to the Mediterranean region to India. It comprises 75 described species and of these, only 5 accepted.

Description

They are perennial plants, with branched rhizome and rooting epigeal stolons. Compound spike inflorescence. Laterally compressed spikelets, with 2-8 hermaphroditic flowers, articulated with the rachilla. glumes shorter than the flowers, slightly unequal; the lower one with 1-3 nerves, the upper one with 3-5 nerves. Motto scarious, with 7-9 nerves. Palea almost as long as the lemma, with 2 more or less scabrous keels. Lodicules 2, bilobed. Unfurrowed caryopsis, reddish-brown, with embryo up to 1/3-1/4 of the total length. Point thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carl Bernhard von Trinius and published in Fundamenta Agrostographiae 143, pl. 12. 1820. The type species is: Aeluropus laevis Trin.

Etymology

Aeluropus: generic name from the Greek ailuros (cat) and pous = (foot), of allusion unknown.

Accepted species

The following is a list of the species of the genus Aeluropus accepted up to April 2015, arranged alphabetically. For each one, the binomial name followed by the author is indicated, abbreviated according to conventions and uses.

• Aeluropus badghyzi Tzvelev
• Aeluropus lakepoides (L.) Trin. ex Thwaites or
• Aeluropus littoralis (Gouan) Parl.
• Aeluropus macrostachyus Hack.
• Aeluropus pilosus (H.L. Yang) S.L. Chen