Fig. 221.—Eragrostis major.
Eragrostis major, Host.
This is an annual tufted grass. Stems are erect or geniculately ascending, usually short, leafy and branched below, glabrous and shining, 1/2 to 2 feet long.
The leaf-sheath is glabrous, striate, shorter than the internodes, keeled with tubercles or glands on the keel and also on some of the smaller nerves on the sides, and bearded with long white hairs externally at the mouth. The nodes are glabrous purple, shining and with a glandular ring below. The ligule is a ridge of long hairs.
The leaf-blade is linear-lanceolate or linear, tapering to a fine point, glabrous, flaccid, margins finely serrulate and glandular, base rounded, varying in length from 1/2 to 10 inches and in breadth 3/16 to 7/16 inch; the midrib is prominent and with a row of glands beneath and there are 3 to 5 lateral nerves on each side of the mid-nerve.
Fig. 222.—Eragrostis major.
1. A branch with spikelets; 2 and 3. empty glumes; 4 and 5. flowering glume and its palea; 6. grain.