Festuca andicola

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or cushion forming; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; slender; straight; 50–70 cm long; firm; 2–3 -noded; with 1 of their length below uppermost node, or 2 of their length below uppermost node; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 1–3 per branch; differentiated into sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; smooth; pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; involute; linear in section, or angular in section; 10–17 cm long; 1–4 mm wide; firm; mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; comprising 7–9(–11) vascular bundles; with 5–7–9 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins, or above some veins; with 3–8 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 12–20 fertile spikelets; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; smooth; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; continuous; dense, or loose; straight; 12–17 cm long; 0.5–1 cm wide; bearing many spikelets, or few spikelets; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose, or simple; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth, or with occasional prickles. Panicle branches straight; with occasional prickles.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4(–5) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes smooth; sparsely hairy. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 1.4–1.8 mm long; 0.7 length of upper glume; herbaceous, or scarious; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous, or scarious; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma margins eciliate. Lemma apex entire; acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–0.7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scabrous; pubescent; hairy above. Palea apex dentate; acute; pubescent, or ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long; eventually exserted. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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