Festuca ovina

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5–60 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–25 cm long; 0.3–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; dense, or loose; 3–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 3–4 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above; puberulous, or pubescent, or pilose. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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