Festuca queriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 25–40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with infolded margins; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–8 vascular bundles; with 5–6 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer. Leaf-blade surface ribbed. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 6–8.5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–8.5 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; 4.8 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5.3 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

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.