Festuca macrophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 50–100 cm long; wiry. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades aciculate, or filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 9 vascular bundles; with 7–11 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.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 7–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 12.5–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–6 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 4.5–7 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.8–4 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

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.