Festuca hephaestophila

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 10–40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 2–10 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or lanceolate, or elliptic; 2–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Poeae. WDC 1995.

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