Festuca procera

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; robust, or of moderate stature; straight; 80–120 cm long; 2–3 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; without keel; striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; conduplicate; linear in section, or angular in section; 20–45 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff, or firm; glaucous, or grey-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and 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 abruptly acute, or acute.

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

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; continuous; loose; equilateral, or secund; straight; 18–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; moderately divided, or profusely divided; 7–14 cm long; naked below. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate, or flexuous; smooth, or scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; 9–15 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; 3–6 mm long; 0.6–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous, or scarious; dark green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; symmetrical; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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.