Festuca asplundii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous, or evident. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 40–80 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam.; 1 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; white; entire. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; convolute; elliptic in section; 20–50 cm long; 1.2–1.5 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; yellowish green, or purple. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; comprising 11–15 vascular bundles; with 9–13 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; moderately hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate; continuous; dense; straight; 11–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 0 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous, or coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; scarious, or coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; symmetrical; 4.5–7 mm long; coriaceous; dark green, or light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex mucronate. Apical sterile florets barren; lanceolate; 4.5–5.2 mm long. Apical sterile lemmas scabrous (above); muticous, or mucronate.

FLOWER Lodicules 2.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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