Festuca alfrediana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 6–20 cm long; 0.3–0.6 mm wide; without exudate. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; with 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth; puberulous; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; 2.5–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 8.5–9.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.5–6.6 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Portal 2001.

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