Deschampsia foliosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 15–30 cm long. Culm-internodes elliptical in section; smooth. Leaves distichous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–7 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5–15 cm long; 0.6–1 mm wide; mid-green. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 4–9 cm long; 1–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Rhachilla internodes definite; pubescent. Floret callus pilose.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; reaching apex of florets; similar to fertile lemma in texture; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; yellow, or purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; yellow, or purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–4 mm long; membranous; shiny; without keel; 4 -veined. Lemma apex dentate; 4 -fid; with outer lobes longer; truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.1–0.2 way up back of lemma; straight, or geniculate; 3–7 mm long overall; without a column, or with twisted column. Rhachilla extension 0.5 length of fertile floret; pilose.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: Macaronesia.

NOTES Aveneae. Fl Eur 1997.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.