Festuca longifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 15–70 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 5–30 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; firm. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle open, or contracted; linear, or lanceolate, or oblong; secund; 2–12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 3.5–5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; 4–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern and southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. CEH.

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