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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca superba

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 180–200 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-nodes black; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 4–5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 25–30 cm long; 10–14 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 22–25 vascular bundles; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 30–35 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2–6 -nate; whorled at most nodes. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 15–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.5–8 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 5 mm long; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1995.

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