Festuca weberbaueri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–40 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 6–20 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 4–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–5.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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