Festuca orthophylla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 15–25 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Leaf-sheath oral hairs woolly. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; 5–13 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade margins ciliate. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 4.5–6 cm long; 0.6–0.8 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches glabrous, or pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8.5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; with lower narrower than upper; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; herbaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; herbaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–7 mm long; herbaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels pubescent. Palea surface papillose. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.6 mm long; membranous; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; fusiform; plano-convex; 3.5 mm long; glabrous. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar.

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