Festuca pseudeskia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths purple. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 20–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; angular in section; 1–2 mm wide; firm; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 9–15 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5–3.9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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