Eriochloa

Eriochloa is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the Poaceae family. It is native to subtropical regions. It comprises 76 described species and of these, only 35 accepted.

Description

They are annual or perennial plants, cespitose or stoloniferous. Ligule usually a minute ciliated membrane, rarely a row of cilia; blades linear to linear-lanceolate, flattened or rarely involute. Inflorescence a panicle of 1 to numerous spiciform racemes on a common axis; racemes with spikelets along underside of rachis, spikelets solitary or paired, subsessile or short pedicellate, lower lemma opposite rachis on spikelets solitary. Spikelets dorsally compressed, ellipsoid or ovoid, acute to acuminate or awned; disarticulation below glumes, spikelet drooping as a unit; basal rachilla internode and lower glume base united in a thickened, protruding callus or lower glume reduced to a minute shirtcuff-shaped scale encircling rachilla internode; upper glume and lower lemma as long as spikelet, similar; lower floret usually sterile and without a palea, rarely staminate and with a developed palea; upper floret bisexual, shorter than upper glume and lower lemma; upper lemma coriaceous, minutely striate-rough or papillose, tip with a minute bristle or small ridge usually shorter than lower lemma, margins not rolled, covering margins of similarly textured flattened palea; lodicules 2; stamens 3; styles 2. Fruit a caryopsis; elliptical thread.

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Carl Sigismund Kunth and published in Nova Genera et Species Plantarum (quarto ed.) 1: 94–95, pl. 30, 31. 1815.

Etymology

The generic name derives from the Greek erion (wool) and chloé (grass), referring to the hairy spikelets.

Cytology

The basic chromosome number of the genus is x = 9, with somatic chromosome numbers of 2n = 36, 54 and 72, since there are tetraploid species and a polyploid series. Relatively "small" chromosomes.

Species

• Eriochloa aristata Vasey
• Eriochloa boliviensis Renvoize
• Eriochloa eggersii Hitchc.
• Eriochloa filifolia Hitchc.
• Eriochloa littoralis Ekman
• Eriochloa nelsonii Scribn. et J.G.Sm.
• Eriochloa punctata (L.) Desv.
• Eriochloa ramosa (Retz.) Kuntze
• Eriochloa villosa (Thunb.) Kunth - Philippines paragis