Festuca hintoniana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 20–45 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.66 of their length closed. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.6 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.6–0.7 mm wide; pruinose. Leaf-blade venation with 9 secondary veins; 7 inner ridges.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 6–9 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 12–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Alex 1995.

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