Festuca livida

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 5–20 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 2–15 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 2–25 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open, or contracted; obovate; 2–5 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes definite; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 10–15 mm long; 1.4–1.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

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