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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 sclerophylla
HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 80–100 cm long; 3 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins; antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long; lacerate; acute. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 50–60 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; stiff; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; with rectangular ribs. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.
Panicle open; 20–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 7–15 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.
Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; laterally compressed; 10–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 5–6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acuminate.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; pallid, or glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface scaberulous; puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.
NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
