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 lilloi

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 10–60 cm long; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; 15–20 cm long; scaberulous, or antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3 mm long; acute. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 20–30 cm long; 0.4–0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; 12–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall; deciduous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1995.

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