Festuca atlantica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–50 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-nodes black. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 6–20 cm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; dense; 3–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.33–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.75–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1994.

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