Festuca deflexa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths yellow, or red, or purple. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature, or slender; 15–65 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 3–12 cm long; keeled; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.4–0.7 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.4–0.7 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; angular in section; 15–25 cm long; 0.4–0.7 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 7–25 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; 7–16 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading, or reflexed; distant; 1–2 -nate; 5–8 cm long; bearing 4–8 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis 4–10 noded; scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous; with prominent pulvini.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 4–6 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–14 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus 0.2–0.75 mm long; pilose; disarticulating transversely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; much thinner on margins; light green, or purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 3.5–6.5 mm long; 0.7–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; with hyaline margins; light green, or purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins distinct, or prominent. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6.75 mm long; membranous; purple; without keel; rounded except near apex; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.2–1.75 mm long overall. Palea 5.5–7.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back; hairy above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.7–1.1 mm long; membranous; ciliate; entire, or 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long; yellow, or purple. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3–3.5 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.25 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 0.66 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Connor 1997.

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