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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca pallidula
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.2–0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; scaberulous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.2–0.3 mm long on basal shoots. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 30–35 cm long; 0.55–0.7 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.
Panicle contracted; linear; 5.5–8 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2–3.5 cm long; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 13–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.2 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–6.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–2.7 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus.
NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
