Festuca laegaardii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight, or curved; 15–70 cm long; 2–5 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 2–3 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; conduplicate; linear in section, or angular in section; 20–25 cm long; 0.5–1.1 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; dark green, or purple. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; comprising 7–11 vascular bundles; with 3–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above some veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface pilose; moderately hairy, or densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open, or contracted; elliptic, or ovate; continuous; loose; secund; straight; 5–18 cm long; 1–11 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight; pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; sparsely hairy. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.8–4 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous, or coriaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 2.8–4 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5.5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; pungent; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.4–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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