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Descriptions

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

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

Agrostis gracilifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 5–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or aciculate; involute; 2–2.5 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 2–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches stiff; smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2–4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 1–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2–3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.25 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3–5 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0.1–0.2 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.

NOTES Aveneae. FTEA.

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