Festuca penzesii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–50 cm long; 0.7–1.3 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hispid. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–2.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.75 mm wide; firm; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–11 vascular bundles; with 6–8 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; interrupted; equilateral; 5–9.5 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous; puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.1–11.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.6–6.7 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.8–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; yellow; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.4–1.6 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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