Festuca carrascana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations extravaginal, or intravaginal. Culms erect; 130–140 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–5 mm long; erose; acute. Leaf-blades flat; 50–60 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 20–25 cm long; 8–12 cm wide. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 7–15 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.5–0.7 mm long; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5–6 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous, or chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex erose; acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–3.6 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Stancik & Renvoize 2007.

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