Festuca pilar-franceii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 70–120 cm long; 1–2 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–2 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1–0.3 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; conduplicate; angular in section, or elliptic in section; 30–60 cm long; 0.7–1 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff, or firm; dark green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pilose; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or elliptic; continuous; dense; straight; 15–25 cm long; 1–7 cm wide. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3.5 mm long; 0.6–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 4.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex muticous, or mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0–1 mm long overall. Palea 2 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface papillose; pilose; hairy above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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