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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 deserti

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–90 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–1 of their length closed; with infolded margins; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 5–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.75–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.5–4 mm long; yellow. Ovary glabrous.

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.