26. Poaceae Tribe ERIACHNEAE
鹧鸪草族 zhe gu cao zu
Authors: Zhen-lan Wu & Sylvia M. Phillips
Annuals or perennials. Leaf blades narrow; ligule a line of hairs. Inflorescence a terminal panicle. Spikelets all alike, slightly laterally compressed, florets 2 without a rachilla extension, disarticulating below each floret; glumes persistent, membranous to papery, of variable length, (1–)7–14-veined, acute to acuminate; florets similar, both fertile, dorsally compressed, narrowly elliptic; lemmas leathery to crustaceous or sometimes cartilaginous, (3–)5–9-veined, hairy, margins inrolled and clasping palea keels, apex entire, awnless or with a straight or curved awn. Caryopsis ellipsoid to linear. Leaf anatomy Kranz PS type; microhairs slender or stout. x = (9), 10, 12.
Two genera and ca. 40 species: mainly in Australia, a few species extending into S and SE Asia; one species in China.
This small tribe resembles Isachneae and Paniceae in its embryo structure and indurate lemmas with inrolled margins. However, the combination of bisexual florets, hairy, awned lemmas, and Kranz leaf anatomy distinguishes it from both.