Festuca divergens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–34 cm long; 0 -noded. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5–14 cm long; 1 mm wide; 5–7 cm long at summit of culm. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 12–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 10–12 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein thickened. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–7 mm long overall. Palea 3.5–4 mm long; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.3–1.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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