Festuca ultramafica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 20–50 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths 3–4 cm long; ribbed; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; 0.5–1 mm long. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; conduplicate; 8–12 cm long; 0.6–1.2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins pubescent. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 15–25 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; linear; 6–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–2 -nate; 3–8 cm long; bearing 3–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis 4–6 noded; smooth, or scaberulous. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–12 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.6 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus 0.2–0.5 mm long; pilose; disarticulating transversely, or disarticulating obliquely.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliate. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 0.4–0.8 mm long. Upper glume oblong; 3.5–5.3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; purple; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5–3 mm long.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; membranous; glaucous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–4.2 mm long overall. Palea 5.5–6 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface puberulous; hairy on back and on margins. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 1–1.2 mm long; membranous; glabrous, or ciliate; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long; yellow. Ovary glabrous, or pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.5 mm long; glabrous, or hairy at apex. Embryo 0.15 length of caryopsis. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: New Zealand.

NOTES Poeae. Connor 1997.

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