Festuca ticinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.1–0.25 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 0.45–1 mm wide; light green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or on both sides. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; effuse; 5.5–12.3 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading. Panicle branches scabrous; glabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8.1–9.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.4–6.3 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.2–6.9 mm long; chartaceous; light green, or glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.7–3.5 mm long overall; 0.33–0.5 length of lemma. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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