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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca rigidifolia

HABIT Perennial. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 70–80 cm long; 0 -noded. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.2 mm long; scarious; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 30–45 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; elliptic; 30–40 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 6–12 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6.2–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface puberulous; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3.5–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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