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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 humbertii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 30–50 cm long; 3 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves heterophyllous being wider on the culm. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.8–0.9 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; dense; 7–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 3–4 mm long; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate; mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–5.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.75–3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1994.

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