Agrostis capillaris

Sylvester, Steven P., Soreng, Robert J., Sylvester, Mitsy D. P. V., Mapaura, Anthony & Ralph Clark, Vincent, 2021, New records of alien and potentially invasive grass (Poaceae) species for southern Africa, Bothalia (a 1) 51 (2), pp. 1-9 : 2

Agrostis capillaris L., Sp. Pl. 1: 62 (1753). Agrostis polymorpha var. capillaris (L.) Huds., Fl. Angl. 1: 31 (1778). Trichodium capillaris (L.) Roth, Nov. Pl. Sp. 41 (1821). Type: [Habitat in Europae pratis], Herb. A. van Royen s.n. (lectotype, designated by Widén 1971: 65: L0052645 left-hand specimen [image!]; isolectotype: L [not seen]) ( Figures 1 , 2 ).

= Agrostis tenuis Sibth., Fl. Oxon. 36 (1794). Agrostis capillaris Huds., Fl. Angl. : 27 (1762), hom. illeg., non L., 1753. Type: ENGLAND (not located).

Many other heterotypic synonyms ( POWO 2020).

Distribution: Of Eurasian origin; introduced into many other temperate areas of the World ( POWO 2020, and references therein). This is the first report of the species for sub-Saharan Africa and the FSA region; it may also be the first verified specimen from the African continent, as it is noted with ‘?’ for Morocco and Tunisia by Dobignard and Chatelain (2010: 213) ( Figure 2 ).

Figures

Figure 2. Agrostis capillaris global distribution map, with country- or regional-level shading, taken and modified from POWO (2020).

Figure1. Agrostis capillaris; A, whole plant; B, junction of sheath and blade of a tiller [sheath should be expanded to see clearly that the ligule is shorter than broad]; C, inflorescence close-up; D, spikelets, lateral view; E, floret, ventral view, showing the well-developed palea. Image A of S.P. Sylvester et al. 3451 (US), B–E of S.P. Sylvester et al. 3451 (PRE).