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 kilimandscharica

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–90 cm long; 1–2 mm diam. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 1–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong, or ovate; 5–22 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 2.5–3(–4.5) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–4.5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 1.7–1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; eglandular, or glandular (beside keel); 1-keeled; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5–2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.1–0.25 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3–6 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0–0.25 length of fertile floret (0–1mm); 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.