Poaceae
Agrostis

Agrostis taylorii C.E.Hubb.

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1937: 63 (1937)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Uganda and Rwanda. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15-30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2-4 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 5-12 cm long; 1-2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 8-14 cm long; 1.5-5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2 -nate; 2-5 cm long. Panicle branches stiff; smooth. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 3-10 mm long; smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension, or with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 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 elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.5-3 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. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5-3 mm long; 1.1 length of upper glume; membranous; glandular (on veins); 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2-2.8 mm long; 1-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; glandular (on veins); 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface asperulous; rough above. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.3-0.4 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 2.5-4.5 mm long overall; with a straight or slightly twisted column. Palea 0.4 length of lemma; hyaline; 0-2 -veined; without keels, or 2-keeled. Rhachilla extension 0.1 length of fertile floret; pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 0.6-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5 mm long. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical and east tropical.
Reference
Aveneae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted perennial; culms 15–30 cm. high, slender, ascending from a short creeping base.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades flat, up to 12 cm. long and 2 mm. wide, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle ovate to ovate-oblong, 8–14 cm. long, open and loose, the branches stiff and smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm. long, green tinged with purple; glumes persistent, lanceolate, the upper a little shorter than the lower, both 3-nerved, minutely glandular along the nerves, otherwise smooth, acute or obtuse; lemma broadly elliptic, 2.5 mm. long, glabrous, 5-nerved, the outermost nerves excurrent, awned from one-third the way up the back; awn weakly geniculate, 2.5–4.5 mm. long; palea 1 mm. long; rhachilla extension 0–0.2 mm. long, usually hairy.
Habitat
On moist ground along streams in upland moor; 3400–3800 m.
Distribution
U2
[FTEA]

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