Festuca longiligula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70–90 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; (2–)5–9.5 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 0.8–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 9–11 vascular bundles; with 7–11 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below, or attached to veins above and below; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; hirsute; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 10–22 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1(–2) -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; laterally compressed; (6–)7.5–13 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, or ovate; 3.4–5.5(–5.7) mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; scarious; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1(–3) -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 4.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; with membranous margins; without keels; (1–)3(–5) -veined. Upper glume surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; (5–)6–7 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keel; 5(–7) -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth, or scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex emarginate, or obtuse, or acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 5–7 mm long; 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate; adorned above; with 0.5–0.66 of their length adorned. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3.5–4.5 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Darbyshire 2009.

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