Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca elgonensis E.B.Alexeev

First published in Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 72: 1266 (1987)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is South Sudan (Imatong Mts), Uganda (Mt. Elgon). It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths withering. Culms 35-70 cm long; 2-3 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.33-0.5 of their length closed; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2-0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 30-40 cm long; 0.5-0.6 mm wide; coriaceous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; linear; 14-20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 3-10 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6-7.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5-8 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 6.5-8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex emarginate, or acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5-2.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2.7-3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical.
Reference
Poeae. Alexeev 2001.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0