Festuca mekiste

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 100–200 cm long. Culm-nodes purple. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 25–40 cm long; 7–17 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 20–30 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–8 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn subapical; 9–15 mm long overall. Palea 1.1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.

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

NOTES Poeae. FTEA.

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