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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 imperatrix

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 10–35 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.25–0.33 of their length closed; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1–0.4 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 4.5–10 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; glaucous; pruinose. Leaf-blade venation with 5–7 secondary veins; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 2.8–5.1 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising (2–)3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.5–8.6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.2 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.3–3.9 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.5–5.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.9–3.1 mm long overall; 0.5–0.75 length of lemma. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2–2.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Catonica 2005.

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