GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Agrostis castellana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 18–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3.5 mm long. Leaf-blades involute; 2.5–10 cm long; 0.5–1.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; effuse; 5–15 cm long; 0.8–6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 4–8 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; terete; 1–2.3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.3–3.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.3–3.7 mm long; 1.4–1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.6–1.8 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma apex erose; truncate; muticous. Palea 0.5 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Stigmas 2; laterally exserted.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: western Asia. Australasia: New Zealand. South America: western South America and southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.