Festuca colombiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely, or moderately. Cataphylls evident. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 75–150 cm long; 3–4 -noded; with 0.5–0.66 of their length below uppermost node; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; smooth. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 1–2 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; smooth. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–0.7 mm long; membranous; white; entire. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 20–40 cm long; 1.3–1.8 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff, or firm; yellowish green, or mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; comprising 9 vascular bundles; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

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

Panicle open; lanceolate; continuous; dense; straight; 12–22 cm long; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending; moderately divided; 4–8 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6(–7) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9–12 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; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; coriaceous; dark green, or dark brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.66 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; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0–2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33–0.5 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 1 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.