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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 mairei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 50–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 30–50 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 7–9 secondary veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 15–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–2 -nate; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.8 mm long; smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough at apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1994.

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