Festuca nevadensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 40–80 cm long; 1.2–2 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–1.4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands unequal in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent; densely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; loose; 6–17 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–10.3 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear; 4.1–6.6 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; light green, or glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2.1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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