Festuca californica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–130 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin hairy. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar pubescent, or pilose. Leaf-blades convolute; 2–3 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; 15–25 cm long; with spikelets clustered towards branch tips. Primary panicle branches spreading, or drooping; 2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; 0.66–0.8 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–8 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.5–5.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA and southwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pac NW 1994.

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