Festuca samensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes absent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 60–120 cm long; 1.5–2.7 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; subequal to internodes; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.3–2.5 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 10–50 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 7–9 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with 4 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 20–100 fertile spikelets.

Panicle open; ovate; loose; equilateral, or nodding; 10–30 cm long; 3–10 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 3–8 in number. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 2–7 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–13.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5.5–7.5 mm long; 0.75–1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 6.5–8.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume margins scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–8.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.2–1.2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.5–0.75 of their length adorned. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 3.3–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Muller 2007.

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