Festuca reclinata

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms slender; straight; 30–40 cm long; 2–3 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 2–4 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long; membranous; white; lacerate; acute. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; linear in section; 5–15 cm long; 0.3–0.5 mm wide; flaccid; light green, or mid-green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; continuous; loose; nodding, or secund; straight; 9–10 cm long; 2–3 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; sparsely divided, or moderately divided. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.3–2 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of upper glume; hyaline, or membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface pubescent; hairy at apex. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 7–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; stiff; 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 0.8 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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