Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca killickii Kenn.-O'Byrne

First published in Kew Bull. 16: 461 (1963)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is KwaZulu-Natal. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30-60 cm long; 1-2 -noded. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3-4 mm long. Leaf-blades ascending; 30-60 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; pyramidal; 10-15 cm long; 3-5 cm wide. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Male inflorescence similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female; 4-6 flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8-9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8-9 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; 2.5-3 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5-4 mm long; 0.6-0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 1-3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma elliptic; 5-6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3-3.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.
sex Male
Male inflorescence similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female; 4-6 flowered.
Distribution
Africa: south.
Reference
Poeae. 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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