Festuca coxii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 15–45 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades involute; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–7.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose, or simple. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex setaceously attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex setaceously attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 8–9 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 8–9 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear, or oblong; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 0.8 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Cheeseman 1997.

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