Festuca inarticulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–70 cm long; 0 -noded. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 10–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 8–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; distant; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches with occasional prickles; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; with lower narrower than upper; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.8–5.4 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Peru 1997.

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