Poaceae
Agrostis

Agrostis volkensii Stapf

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1897: 289 (1897)
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 montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 6-45 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5-10 cm long; 1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; oblong; 2-10 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2-4.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 2-4.5 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; 2-4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2-4.5 mm long; 1-1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 2-3 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins excurrent. Lemma surface glabrous, or pilose. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.25 way up back of lemma; geniculate; 3-5 mm long overall; with twisted column. Palea 1 length of lemma; hyaline; 2 -veined. Palea apex with excurrent keel veins. Rhachilla extension 0.05-0.1 length of fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear. Endosperm farinose.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.
Reference
Aveneae. FTEA.
[GB]

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: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Densely tufted perennial; culms 6–45 cm. high, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades involute, filiform, up to 10 cm. long, stiff, densely scaberulous, striate on the underside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Panicle narrowly oblong, 3–15 cm. long, loose, rarely contracted, the branches flexuous and sparsely asperulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets lanceolate, 2–4.5 mm. long, purplish; glumes persistent, lanceolate, subequal, 3-nerved, sparsely asperulous, acute; lemma ovate-oblong, 2–3 mm. long, pilose to almost glabrous, 5-nerved, the 4 lateral nerves usually excurrent into conspicuous mucros, awned from one-quarter the way up the back; awn geniculate, 3–5 mm. long; palea as long as the lemma, bimucronate; rhachilla-extension 0.2 mm. long, obscure.
Habitat
Upland grassland and moor in open, often moist, places; 3000–4850 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 T2 U2 U3 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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