Festuca woodii

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes short; fleshy; not obviously scaly. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; of moderate stature; straight; 50–150 cm long; 2–4 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes 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; pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1.1 mm long; membranous; translucent, or white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or flexuous; flat; linear in section; 15–20 cm long; 4–7 mm wide; firm, or flaccid; dark 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 glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate, or pyramidal; continuous; loose, or effuse; equilateral; straight; 15–20 cm long; 1–2 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; moderately divided; naked below. Panicle branches flexible; straight, or arcuate; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 12–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pilose. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.8 length of upper glume; hyaline, or chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.2–3.5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or dark green, or purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 2 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

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

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik 2005.

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