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 scabriuscula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 40–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface to pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 0.6–0.9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 3–6 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 13–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1.5–2 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume lateral veins prominent; all extending to apex. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough at apex. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough generally, or above. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–4 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.