Festuca scabrifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths papery; dull. Culms erect; 30–90 cm long. Leaves mostly basal. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 10–20 cm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 6–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1–2 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–8 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex attenuate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex attenuate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate to setaceously attenuate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; eciliate, or pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Bolivia 1997.

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