Festuca densipaniculata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 20–40 cm long; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; antrorsely scabrous. 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; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel; striately veined; antrorsely scabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1.5–3.5 mm long; membranous; white; entire; obtuse. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section, or circular in section; 20–30 cm long; 1.3–1.6 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; comprising 13–17 vascular bundles; with 11–15 inner ridges; 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 scabrous; rough abaxially; puberulous, or pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or attenuate.

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

Panicle contracted; lanceolate, or elliptic; continuous; dense; equilateral; straight; 6–10 cm long; 1.5–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–9(–10) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex emarginate, or acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.7–1.3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned all along. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.3–2.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 0.5 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.