Festuca vivipara

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes absent, or short. Culms 8–20 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or conduplicate; 2–7 cm long; 0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong, or ovate; 2–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets (but usually proliferating); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 10–15 mm long (as bulbils); falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; 0.66–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma when unaltered lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia and Soviet far east. North America: Subarctic.

NOTES Poeae. Circumpolar Fl 1994.

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