Festuca balcanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 20–60 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.3 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 5–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands above some veins and above all veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; dense; nodding; 4–6 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.6 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.6–6.3 mm long; chartaceous; yellow, or mid-green and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–0.3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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