Festuca chitagana

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; slender; straight; 60–80 cm long; 2–4 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; involute; angular in section; 15–20 cm long; 0.7–0.9 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; dark green. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; moderately hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate; continuous; dense; equilateral; straight; 10–12 cm long; 9–12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; moderately divided; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 6–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous, or chartaceous, or herbaceous; dark green, or dark brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; dark green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5.8–7 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or dark brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex setaceously attenuate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 0.8–1 mm long. Anthers 3; 1–1.6 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate. Hilum linear; 0.8 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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