Festuca vandovii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 40–85 cm long. Culm-internodes scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.25 of their length closed. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.4–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–11 vascular bundles; with 3–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 5–12 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

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; 3.5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.3–3.5 mm long overall; 0.5 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation absent, or occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Velcher 2005.

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