Festuca auquieri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section, or elliptic in section; 3–25 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 1(–3) inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or oblong; 4.5–8 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6.6–8.8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–6.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Portal 2001.

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