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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 earlei
HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms slender; 30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 3–5 cm long; striately veined; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–10 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle contracted; linear; 3–5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.
DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA.
NOTES Poeae. Rydberg 2004.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.