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 congestiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 5–35 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–10 cm long; 0.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 2–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; terete; 1 length of fertile spikelet; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 2–3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Floret callus hairs 0–0.3 mm long.

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 smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 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; muticous, or mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic to oblong; 1.3–2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent; excurrent, or extending close to apex. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.33–0.5 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 2–4 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 0.6–0.8 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6–1 mm long. Stigmas 2.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Eur 1997.

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