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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Festuca scariosa
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 60–110 cm long; 3–4 -noded; with 0.5–0.66 of their length below uppermost node. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.05 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–6 mm long; lacerate; acute. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 30–50 cm long; 1–1.2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 13–17 secondary veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; linear; interrupted; 15–50 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–3 -nate; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.5–4 mm long; scarious; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex entire, or dentate; 3 -fid; obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 2 mm long; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 0.4–0.5 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. Africa: north.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Afr N 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
