Festuca acanthophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths purple. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 50–90 cm long; 2 -noded. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8–1 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 8–35 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 8–15 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1.2 mm long. Anthers 3; 3.5–5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; 4 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.1–0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Matthei 1995.

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