Festuca cretacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 30–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.55–1 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pubescent; densely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–13 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8.6–10 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 lanceolate; 3.4–6.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5–7.1 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.4–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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