Festuca gracillima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms slender; 30–80 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; 10–40 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; equilateral, or nodding; 6–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 14–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–8 mm long; 0.66–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6.5–12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above; puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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