Festuca panda

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 9–30 cm long; 1 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades aciculate; convolute; 1–3 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 8–15 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2–5 cm long; bearing few spikelets.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4–4.4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.8 mm long. Anthers 3; 2.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Matthei 1996.

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