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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 heterophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 60–120 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves heterophyllous being wider on the culm (2–4mm). Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 3 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or oblong; secund; 6–18 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–5.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4–6.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 5–8 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–6 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–4.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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