Festuca scabriculmis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 33–55 cm long; 0.6–1.5 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.1–0.25 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.8–1.7 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; 0.4–0.6 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; equilateral, or nodding; 3–10 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10.3–14.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

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; 3.9–6.1 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–9.5 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliate. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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