Festuca cleefiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 70–100 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.33 of their length below uppermost node; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long; membranous; white; entire; obtuse. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 15–30 cm long; 0.55–0.65 mm wide; coriaceous; flaccid; yellowish green, or mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute; densely hairy. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; continuous; dense, or loose; straight; 11–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; moderately divided, or profusely divided; 3–7 cm long; naked below, or bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate; smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6(–7) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar, or dissimilar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75–0.85 length of upper glume; coriaceous; dark brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.7 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; dark green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5.5–5.7 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green, or light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; puberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.8–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.3–2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 0.75 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.