Festuca dichoclada

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; straight, or curved; 80–120 cm long; 3–5 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 8–12 mm long; membranous; white; lacerate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades flexuous; linear in section; 20–40 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; herbaceous; firm, or flaccid; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation distinct; 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 scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate; continuous; loose, or effuse; equilateral, or secund; straight; 27–45 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; profusely divided; 10–20 cm long; naked below. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11–14 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 linear, or lanceolate; 5–7.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or grey, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–9 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; symmetrical; 8–11 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous, or scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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