Poaceae
Agrostis

Agrostis keniensis Pilg.

First published in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 9: 513 (1926)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to E. Tropical Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted perennial; culms 70–120 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, up to 20 cm. long and 3 mm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle linear to narrowly oblong, 15–25 cm. long, loose to moderately dense, the branches scaberulous, slender, ascending.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets lanceolate, 3–4 mm. long, green or purplish, shining; glumes persistent, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, the upper a little shorter than the lower, 1-nerved, smooth except for the serrately scabrid keel, acute; lemma narrowly oblong-ovate, 2.5–3 mm. long, loosely pilose with hairs up to 1 mm. long, clearly 5-nerved, the outermost nerves excurrent into short mucros, awned from one-third the way up the back; awn weakly geniculate, 3.5–5 mm. long; palea almost as long as the lemma; rhachilla-extension variable, 0–0.5 mm. long, hairy.
Habitat
Stream banks and forest margins in the uplands; 2300–3000 m.
Distribution
K3 K6 T2 T7 U3
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 70-120 cm long; 3-4 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4-5 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades flat; 10-20 cm long; 2-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse; hardened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; linear, or oblong; loose, or effuse; 15-25 cm long; 5-7 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 3-4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 3-4 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.7-3.7 mm long; 1.2-1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5-3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma hairs 1 mm long. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.3-0.4 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3.5-5 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea 0.9 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Rhachilla extension 0-0.2 length of fertile floret; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.
Reference
Aveneae. FTEA.
[GB]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0