Festuca brevipaleata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.25 of their length closed. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 6–25 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 10–30 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 9.5–10.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 5.5–11 mm long overall. Palea 7.4–8.5 mm long; 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.2–2.7 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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