Festuca violacea

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 20–45 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ungrooved; pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 3–11 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 2.5–2.75 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–3.75 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.75–6 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, and southeastern. Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iran 1995.

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