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Descriptions

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

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

Festuca abyssinica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths withering. Culms decumbent; 15–60 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform, or aciculate; conduplicate; 3–25 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside (var supina).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 8–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 6.5–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–8.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 6–10 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets appressed to rhachilla. Fertile lemma elliptic; 6.5–9.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 0–1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–3(–5) mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous, or pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous, or hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

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

NOTES Poeae. FTEA.

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