Festuca sanctae-marthae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes absent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature, or slender; straight; 60–80 cm long; 2–3 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–2 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.6 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; flat, or conduplicate; angular in section; 25–35 cm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; coriaceous; firm; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; moderately hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; smooth, or scaberulous above; glabrous.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate; continuous; dense; straight; 10–16 cm long; 1.5–2 cm wide; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 8.5–9.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of upper glume; hyaline, or membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 8.5–10.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 9–10 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 1–1.4 mm long; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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