Festuca billyi

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 25–50 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 10–50 cm long; 2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9(–13) vascular bundles; with 3–5(–7) inner ridges; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; continuous, or interrupted; 5–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7.6–10 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; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–3.4 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.