Festuca jaliscana

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths withering. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 3–3.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above some veins; subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–32 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 13.5–14.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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