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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 nardifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 2.5–8 cm long; 1 -noded. Leaves distichous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; conduplicate; 2–8 cm long; 0.5–0.6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2–4 cm long. Panicle axis smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; glabrous, or sparsely hairy.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1995.

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