Festuca dasyantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls evident. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 40–50 cm long; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; membranous; white; entire. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section, or circular in section; 20–25 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; yellowish green, or dark green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface hirsute; 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, or contracted; lanceolate; continuous; dense; straight; 15–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; mid-green, or grey; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; light green, or mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5–6 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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