Festuca subulifolia

HABIT Caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes absent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature; straight; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0–1 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1–2 mm long; membranous, or scarious; white; entire; acute. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight; conduplicate; elliptic in section; coriaceous; stiff, or firm; yellowish green, or mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct. Leaf-blade venation indistinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; moderately hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

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

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or oblong, or ovate; continuous, or interrupted; dense; equilateral, or secund; straight; 12–35 cm long; 1–2 cm wide; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; moderately divided, or profusely divided. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–9 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 lanceolate; (3–)3.5–4.5(–5.5) mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; coriaceous; mid-green, or light brown; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 4–6 mm long; 0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous, or coriaceous; dark green, or light brown; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; symmetrical; 5–6.5(–8) mm long; scarious, or coriaceous; mid-green, or light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; puberulous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5–2.5 mm long overall.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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