GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca kurtziana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 20–55 cm long; 2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles absent, or falcate. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 3–15 cm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long; pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough above. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–9.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3.5 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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