Festuca burnatii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 15–25 cm long; 1.2 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths transversely wrinkled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 5–7 mm long; scarious. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; smooth. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 4–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; shiny. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; yellow and purple; suffused with last colour; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.66 of their length adorned. Palea surface glabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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