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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 rothmaleri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths, or fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 35–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.6–0.75 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 7–8 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands unequal in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 7–12.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9.1 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 linear; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume linear; 4.5–5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2.5 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.