Festuca clementei

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 15–22 cm long; 1 -noded. Leaf-sheaths with flat margins; transversely wrinkled; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with 5–7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; pilose; densely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 3–5.5 cm long. Panicle branches with scattered hairs.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.6–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 2.9–3.1 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.3–0.6 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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