Agrostis producta Pilg.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30-80 cm long; 2-4 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flat, or involute (rarely); 3-25 cm long; 1-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; dense, or loose; 5-20 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; gaping. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5-4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5-4.5 mm long; 1.7-1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma oblong; 2-2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.1-0.25 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 4-7 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Rhachilla extension 0.3-0.7 length of fertile floret (1-3mm); pilose; hairy below.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.

Distribution

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

Reference

Aveneae. FTEA.

Gramineae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 10:1. 1971

Morphology General Habit

A densely caespitose perennial.

Morphology Culms

Culms 50-120 cm. tall, usually erect, more rarely ascending from a shortly geniculate base, 2-4-noded, usually simple, smooth or scaberulous beneath the nodes.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf-sheaths fairly tight, smooth or scaberulous, the oldest persistent and often splitting into irregular fibres.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf-laminae 3-25 x 0.25(0.3) cm., expanded or sometimes involute, linear to almost setaceous, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Panicle 5-25 cm. long, ovate to elliptic in outline, usually effuse with flexuous branches, more rarely slightly contracted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3.5 — 4.5 mm. long, oblong, green or often purplish, gaping at length.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes 1-nerved (rarely the superior 3-nerved), subequal, lanceolate, firmly membranous, apex acute to acuminate, keel scabrous, flanks minutely granular-scaberulous or very rarely smooth.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Lemma 2-2.25(3) mm. long, thinly membranous, ovate-oblong to broadly elliptic, 5-nerved with the nerves excurrent into mucros up to 0.75 mm. long, dorsally pilose to a varying degree of density, dorsally awned from near the base; awn geniculate, 4-7.5 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Palea

Palea usually almost as long as (rarely shorter than — see notes) the lemma, faintly 2-nerved, apex 2-dentate; rhachilla usually produced beyond the floret (very rarely not produced), forming a basally hairy awn-like bristle, 1-3 mm. long.