Festuca paucispiculata

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 9.5–12 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.25 of their length below uppermost node. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; smooth; pubescent. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Leaf-sheath auricles erect and connate forming a tooth opposite blade. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 3–40 cm long; 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib evident. Leaf-blade venation comprising 3–5 vascular bundles; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with 3–5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–4 fertile spikelets. Peduncle smooth; glabrous.

Panicle spiciform; 2–3 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate; 0.2–0.3 cm long; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.25 mm long; smooth; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5 mm long; 1.75 mm wide; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth; glabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Litard. 2014.

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