Festuca monguensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 50 cm long; 2 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.7–1.5 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; involute; angular in section, or elliptic in section; 20–25 cm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff, or firm; yellowish green, or mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; continuous; dense; equilateral; straight; 5–15 cm long; 0.5–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes smooth; glabrous, or sparsely hairy. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous; rough at apex. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–2.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface papillose; pilose; hairy on margins. Palea apex ciliate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; 1.3 mm long; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 1.2–1.3 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.