Festuca cocuyana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature; straight; 20–50 cm long; 2–3 -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 an eciliate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; conduplicate; angular in section; 15–20 cm long; 0.8–2 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; dark green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins, or attached to veins above, or attached to veins below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or attenuate.

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

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or elliptic; continuous; dense; straight; 8–12 cm long; 0.8–1.5 cm wide.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–13 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; 7.5–8 mm long; 0.8–9 length of upper glume; chartaceous, or scarious; pallid, or light green, or light brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 7.5–10.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; light green, or mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 8–10 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0–0.5 mm long overall. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface papillose. Palea apex scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 1–1.4 mm long. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate. 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.