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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca amethystina
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 50–80 cm long; 2–3 -noded; with 0.25–0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.75 of their length closed; with flat margins; ribbed. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 10–30 cm long; 0.3–0.75 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.
Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle branches pubescent.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7.8–8.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.2–4.3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 4.5–5.3 mm long; chartaceous; glaucous, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or hispid; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: western Asia.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
