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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca filiformis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 10–45 cm long; 1–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.5 mm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–25 cm long; 0.2–0.4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate, or oblong; 2–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 3–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; rounded except near apex; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1–2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear; 0.6–0.7 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus. Australasia: New Zealand. South America: Mesoamericana and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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