Festuca aguana

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls inconspicuous, or evident. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 60–150 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves basal and cauline. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.2–1 mm long. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 16–60 cm long; 5–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 20–34 cm long; 10–20 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 2 -nate; 10–18 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6.5–11.4 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.2–6 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–6.2 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scaberulous. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.7–2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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