Festuca alpestris

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 25–55 cm long; 0.8–1.8 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; 0.6–0.9 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 5–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 3–7 cm long. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.9 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5.3 mm long; chartaceous; yellow; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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