Festuca pratensis

HABIT Caespitose; clumped moderately. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature; straight; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined. Leaf-sheath auricles falcate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; membranous; white; erose; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; flat; linear in section; firm, or flaccid; light green, or mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; continuous; loose; straight; 15–20 cm long; 3–5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.7–3 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; membranous; mid-green; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.7–4 mm long; 0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous, or chartaceous; mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; symmetrical; 6–6.5 mm long; chartaceous, or herbaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex muticous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central. North America: Subarctic. South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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