Festuca norica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 22–68 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; with infolded margins; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–9 vascular bundles; with 5–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below. Leaf-blade surface ribbed.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.7–10 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 lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 5.8–6 mm long; 0.9–1.3 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.3–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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