Festuca campestris

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 60–100 cm long. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 12–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2 -nate; 5–7.5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 8 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex attenuate; mucronate. Palea 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA and northeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. Vasey 2004.

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