Festuca peristerea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–55 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; with infolded margins; ribbed; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 7–9 cm long. Panicle branches glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

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 ovate; 3.6–5 mm long; 0.75–0.85 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4.9–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–4 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. 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.