Festuca pseudodura

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 15–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.8–1 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–1 mm wide; stiff; light green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; dense; 4–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches moderately divided. Panicle branches glabrous, or puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.1–8.4 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 lanceolate; 3.5–5.3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliate (at tip). Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.9–6.2 mm long; chartaceous; glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.5–3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–2.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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