Festuca holubii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; slender; straight; 50–60 cm long; 1 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.6–0.8 mm long; membranous; white; bilobed; obtuse. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; involute; angular in section; 15–25 cm long; 0.8 mm wide; coriaceous; firm; dark green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; linear, or lanceolate; continuous; dense; straight; 8–14 cm long; 0.7 cm wide; bearing few spikelets; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes smooth; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; symmetrical; 7 mm long; chartaceous; purple; keeled; keeled above; 5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; 0.9–1 mm long; with a small lateral lobe. Anthers 3; 1.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate. Hilum linear; 0.6–0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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