Festuca guaramacalana

HABIT Culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature; straight, or curved; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; membranous; translucent, or white; entire; acute. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; convolute; linear in section; firm, or flaccid; dark green, or purple. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute, or attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or lanceolate; continuous; loose; straight; 15–20 cm long; 2–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; (10–)12–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume subulate, or linear; 3.7–4.7 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; coriaceous; purple, or black; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 9.5–10.5 mm long; coriaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff.

FLOWER Lodicules 2.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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