Festuca tovarensis

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Butt sheaths papery, or herbaceous. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight, or curved; 80–110 cm long; 6–12 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete; distally glabrous. 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; pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; membranous; translucent, or white; lacerate; acuminate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; linear in section; 12–15 cm long; 3–9 mm wide; flaccid; mid-green, or dark green. Leaf-blade midrib 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 ribbed; grooved abaxially; scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle straight, or flexuous; terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; lanceolate; continuous; loose; secund; straight; 20–25 cm long; 5–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; moderately divided; bearing spikelets almost to the base. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches straight, or arcuate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7.5–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes 1.2–1.4 mm long; scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 1.5–1.8 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of upper glume; membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 7–8.5 mm long; membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green, or purple; without keel; 3–5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn filiform; 3–4(–5) mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; oblong; membranous; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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