Festuca exaristata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with soft dead sheaths. Culms 20–35 cm long; 0.5–1 mm diam.; 2 -noded; with 0.15–0.25 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.66–0.75 of their length closed; smooth. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.7 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 5–25 cm long; 0.6–0.9 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib scarcely raised beneath. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 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, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–3 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 5.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear, or lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; coriaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.7–3 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; with membranous margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–4.2 mm long; chartaceous; light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.5 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5–1.8 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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