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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 camerunensis
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths withering. Culms 15–35 cm long; 1.5–2 mm diam.; 2 -noded; with 0.25 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.66 of their length closed; smooth. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 5–20 cm long; 0.6–1 mm wide; coriaceous; dark green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 6–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–4 cm long. Panicle axis smooth.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.2–5.7 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; obtuse.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7.5–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.7–1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.
NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.