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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca claytonii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with soft dead sheaths. Culms 25–60 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 2 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 7–15 cm long; 0.4–0.5 mm wide; flaccid; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib keeled beneath. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 6–13 fertile spikelets.
Panicle open; linear; 5–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–3 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.4–4.7 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with membranous margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; puberulous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 1 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.
NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
