Festuca asperella

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 50–100 cm long. Culm-internodes scaberulous; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–5.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–25 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 14–15.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; glabrous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0.4–0.8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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