Festuca quadriflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 10–20 cm long. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–4 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

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 ovate; 3.8–5.2 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; glaucous and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.2–1.3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

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

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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