The taxonomic and conservation status of Agrostis eriantha var. planifolia

Abstract

Agrostis eriantha Hack. (1904) is a tufted, rhizomatous perennial that grows in wetlands of Swaziland, Lesotho, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and Eastern Cape. This relatively rare grass appears to be sensitive to disturbance and is mainly found in pristine habitats. In 1945, Goossen & Paperndorf described a form of the species collected by Pole-Evans on the farm Doornkloof, Irene, as A. eriantha Hack.var. planifolia Gooss. & Paperndorf. The main diagnostic character used to distinguish the two varieties was the length of the callus hairs as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Agrostis eriantha var. eriantha, the callus hairs are up to one third the lemma length while in var. planifolia, the callus hairs are up to half the lemma length. Another suggested difference was in the leaf blades, which are said to be folded in var. eriantha and fl at in var. planifolia. Other possible differences are discussed in the results section.