Festuca flavescens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–50 cm long; 0.8–1.2 mm diam. Culm-internodes yellow. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–9.5 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; yellow; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–0.8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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