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Descriptions

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

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

Festuca magellanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 4–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.66 of their length closed; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 1.5–12 cm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 3.5–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.6–1.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 0.66 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America. Antarctic: Subantarctic islands.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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