Festuca porcii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths withering. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 45–90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.66 of their length closed; with infolded margins; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 0.7–1.2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 13 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 13–18 cm long. Panicle branches pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.4 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 obovate; 4.9 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southeastern, and eastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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