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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca deserticola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–35 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.3 mm long; bilobed. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; conduplicate; 8–10 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 9–10 vascular bundles; with 9–10 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 4–10 fertile spikelets.

Panicle spiciform; linear; 4–6 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1–2 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.7 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate, or setaceously attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.7 mm long. Anthers 3; 3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Matthei 1996.

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