Festuca gilbertiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 30–35 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 9 vascular bundles; with 5–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 6–7.5 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3–6 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.5–10.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1(–3) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.2–4.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.3–2.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eth 1997.

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