Festuca breviglumis

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 60–130 cm long; 3 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes constricted; brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 10–25 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 15–35 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; nodding; 15–27 cm long; 7–15 cm wide; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 9–18 cm long. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 3–5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–8.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 14–15.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 10–15 mm long overall. Palea 0.66–0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long; purple. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Costa Rica 1994.

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