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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca distichovaginata
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; 0–1 -noded; with 0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaves distichous; differentiated into sheath and blade. Leaf-sheaths 10–20 cm long; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2 mm long. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; conduplicate; 8–20 cm long; 0.8–1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 8 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade apex acute; pungent.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; dense; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous; pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 6.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 6–6.5 mm long; 0.9 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long; purple. Ovary glabrous.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.
DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.
NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
