Festuca orizabensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes absent, or short. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms 100–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 11–21 secondary veins; 7–19 inner ridges.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 15–30 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface granulose; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned below; with 0.33–0.5 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1995.

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