Festuca engleri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short; knotty. Culms 130–200 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-blades 30–45 cm long; 7–20 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade venation with obscure cross veins.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 30–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; subterete; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas. Floret callus pubescent; obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins with distinct primaries but obscure intermediates. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; flexuous; 7–10 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.15–0.2 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

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

NOTES Poeae. FTEA.

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