GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca longipanicula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Stolons present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins; without keel; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or conduplicate; angular in section; 0.5–1 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with 7–9 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; linear; interrupted; loose; nodding; 7–15 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7.6–9.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.4–2.9 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear, or lanceolate; 3.4–5.3 mm long; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 5–6.9 mm long; 1.8–2.1 mm wide; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.1–0.7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1997.

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