Festuca tenuiculmis

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary. Culms 18–23 cm long; 1 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades straight; conduplicate; 3–6 cm long; 2 mm wide; 2 cm long at summit of culm. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 4.5–6 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels terete; smooth.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.3–2.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.3–3.5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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