Festuca javorkae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous; distally pubescent. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0 of their length closed; with flat margins; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 0.5–1.1 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; dense; 6–11 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.8 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.2–5 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green, or glaucous and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent; hairy above. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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