Festuca venezuelana

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms robust, or of moderate stature; straight; 130–180 cm long; 3 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. 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; antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long; membranous; white, or brown; lacerate; acute. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; flat, or plicate; linear in section; 25–40 cm long; 5–11 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; mid-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 scabrous; 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; ovate; continuous; loose; equilateral, or nodding; straight; 20–25 cm long; 10–15 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; moderately divided; naked below. Panicle branches flexible; straight, or arcuate; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 14–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.2 mm long; scaberulous; glabrous. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.4–0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 7–9 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; stiff; 2–8 mm long overall. Palea 2 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate, or ovoid. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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