Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.
Family: Poaceae, Tribe: Eragrostideae

Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)

Cynosurus indicus L., Eleusine gracilis Salisb.

Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)

goosegrass

Primary Disseminule Type

floret

Description (diagnostics are in brown)

Spikelets solitary, sessile, consisting of 3–9 fertile florets with similar-looking though diminished sterile florets at apex, elliptic to lanceolate, laterally compressed, (3)4–8 mm long x 2–3 mm wide, light green to brownish-olive. Disarticulation below each fertile floret.

Glumes persistent, similar, shorter than spikelet, membranous, keeled, keel narrowly winged, apices acute. Lower glume lanceolate, 1–3 mm long, 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume, 1-veined. Upper glume elliptic, 1.8–2.9(4.5) mm long, 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma, (1)3–5(7)-veined.

Fertile florets: rachilla persistent, very short, callus blunt, glabrous.

Lemma lanceolate, 2.1–4(5) mm long, membranous, keeled, keel thickened, scabrid, 1–3-veined plus 2 subsidiary veins on either side of midvein, all veins ± ribbed, apex acute.

Palea 0.9 length of lemma, 2-veined, veins keeled (obliquely ridged to narrowly winged).

Fruit (not technically a caryopsis since seed is separate) ellipsoid, pericarp papery and reddish-brown, ca. 2 mm long x ca. 1.3 mm wide.

Seed squarish-oblong, trigonous, isodiametric, 1–1.5 mm long x 0.7–1.1 mm wide, testa purplish black, surface rugulose and obliquely striate, embryo ca. 0.5 length of caryopsis, hilum round, in deep non-linear depression.

Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)

AUQP, NZBORIC, NZBPI