Festuca sodiroana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely, or moderately. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight, or curved; 70–150 cm long; 2–3 mm diam.; 3–4 -noded; with 0.5–0.66 of their length below uppermost node; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves basal and cauline; 3–5 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; smooth; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; membranous; translucent, or white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; flat; linear in section; 15–30 cm long; 4–9 mm wide; flaccid; mid-green, or dark green. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; elliptic; continuous; loose; secund; straight; 15–30 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; moderately divided; 5–10 cm long; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7.5–9(–10) mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 1.3–1.8 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of upper glume; coriaceous; pallid, or light green; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2–3 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; pallid, or light green, or mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5–6.3 mm long; coriaceous; pallid, or light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned all along. Palea apex emarginate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.9–1.4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side. Hilum linear; 0.66–0.75 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.