Festuca willdenowiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–12 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 5–10 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes eventually visible between lemmas; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Poeae. WDC 1995.

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