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Descriptions

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

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

Austrofestuca hookeriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering, or persistent and investing base of culm. Culms erect; 70–120 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–40 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 30 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, or drooping; 2–3 -nate; 10–22 cm long. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5 mm long; villous. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume linear; 6–8 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 8 mm long; coriaceous; keeled; 5–11 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 0.5–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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