Festuca laevigata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 20–70 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 2–35 cm long; 0.7–1.5 mm wide; stiff; mid-green, or glaucous; without exudate, or pruinose. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9(–11) vascular bundles; with 3(–5) inner ridges. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; 3–12 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 5–10 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; 4.5–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pilose. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–3.8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Portal 2001.

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