| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Festuca | > | caprina |
| Synonyms: |
Festuca nubigena var. caprina (Nees) St. Yves |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Native |
| Description: |
A very densely caespitose perennial. Culms 30-100 cm. tall, 1-2(3)-noded, erect, slender, wiry, smooth, glabrous. Leaf-sheaths fairly tight, open towards the mouth, smooth; the lower persistent, splitting into brown fibres which form more or less dense cushions around the culm-bases. Ligule very short, usually less than 1 mm. long. Leaf-laminae 3-25 x 0·05-0·2 cm., usually involute and filiform, rarely expanded, smooth, or inconspicuously scaberulous on the upper surface. Panicle 5-20 cm. long, open, rarely slightly contracted, narrowly ovate in outline, erect or somewhat drooping; branches slender but less flexuous than in the preceding sp., single or paired, simple or branched near the base. Pedicels unequal, short. Spikelets 10-15 mm. long, 4-7(9-)-flowered, oblong, gaping, bright green or tinged with dark purple, usually erect, rarely drooping. Glumes unequal, chartaceous, acute; the inferior 3-5·5 mm. long, 1-nerved, narrowly lanceolate to subulate; the superior 3·5-6·5 mm. long, 3-nerved, lanceolate. Lemmas 5-7·5 mm. long, dorsally scaberulous, sometimes thinly pubescent, lanceolate, with the apex tapering into a fine awn 1-3 mm. in length. Palea with the keels scabrous. Anthers 2·5-3 mm. long. Ovary shortly pilose at the apex. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | In montane grassland, often in valley bottoms near streams |
| Altitude range: (metres) | Up to 1600 m |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | South Africa, Lesotho, extending through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi into Tanzania |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | E |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 348. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 42. Launert, E. (1971). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(1) Pages 57 - 58. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 105. |
| Home | > | List of families | > | Poaceae | > | Festuca | > | caprina |