Festuca kingii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; erose. Leaf-blades erect; flat; 3–6 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 10–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; bearing spikelets almost to the base.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–6.5 mm long; 0.66–1 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6.5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma ovate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; lightly keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA, north-central USA, and southwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pac NW 1994.

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