Festuca pyrenaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; 10–32 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.3–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–4 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; dense; 2–3.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–6.5 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; 3.4–3.7 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–4.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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