Festuca calabrica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 20–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 6–10 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 2–5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 13–15 vascular bundles; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below. Leaf-blade surface ribbed.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.5–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.9 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7.3 mm long; chartaceous; light green; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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