Table 1 in Festuca drakensbergensis (Poaceae): A common new species in the F. caprina complex from the Drakensberg Mountain Centre of Floristic Endemism, southern Africa, with key and notes on taxa in the complex including the overlooked F. exaristata

Table 1. Differences in key morphological characters between the species of the Festuca caprina complex in southern Africa.
CharacterF. caprina var. caprinaF. caprina var. irrasaF. caprina var. macraF. exaristataF. drakensbergensisTillersintravaginalExtravaginal, rarely also intravaginalCulm height (cm)35-100ca. 30-65(28-)60-110(-120+)ca. 19-35(12.5-)20-46(-65)Height of basal foliage(20-)30-60+ cm tall, generally (> ½)> ¾ to surpassing the length of the culmsca. 14-30 cm tall, often <½ the length of the culms(10-)30-80+ cm tall, generally> ½ the length of the culmsca. 12-25 cm tall, generally <½ the length of the culms(2-)4-20(-27) cm tall, generally <½ the length of the culmsSheaths of old leavesNot falling apart into parallel thin threadsfalling apart (shredded) into parallel thin threadsNot falling apart into parallel thin threadsFalling apart (shredded) into parallel thin threadsSheaths of tillers and basal culm length (cm)ca. 6-16(-24)ca. 2-10(3-)12-24+ca. 1-4(-10?)(0.5-)2-7(-10)Basal culm and tiller leaf blade length (cm)(8.5-)12-60ca. 1.8-20(4-)13-66.5+ca. 2-25(2-)5-15(-26)Leaf blade in middle vein (midrib)Sharp, keel-likeBlunt, roundedUsually sharp, keel-like, sometimes blunt, roundedAbaxial leaf surfaceSmooth or rarely scaberulous towards apicesSmooth or rarely scaberulous towards apicesScabrous throughoutSmoothSmooth or only scaberulous at apexPanicle branchesScabrousUsually long-scabrous, prickles hair-likeScabrousSmoothScabrous or rarely smoothLowermost lemma length (mm)(4.5-)6-7(-9)ca. (5.2-)5.5-6.5(4.5-)5-7.2(-9?)4-4.24.5-5.8Spikelet pubescenceglabrousUsually hispid on lemmas, paleas and rachillasglabrousAwn length (mm)(0-)1-4.5ca. 1.5-2.8(0-)1.5-5.50(0-)0.5-3Anthers length (mm)(2.1-)2.4-4ca. 2.6-2.8(1.6 mm?; Alexeev 1986)(1.8-)2-3.5(-4)1.5-1.80.8-1.6(-1.8)Ovary apexHairy, hairs sparse (sometimes just 1 or 2) or denseGlabrousHairy, hairs sparse or dense