Festuca duriotagana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Butt sheaths dark brown, or red; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 20–60 cm long; 1–1.5 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; without keel; puberulous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades erect, or ascending; flexuous; aciculate; conduplicate; 0.3–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 7–14 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–2 mm long; eventually visible between lemmas; sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; mid-green and purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; mid-green and purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1.5 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Franco & Afonso 2005.

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