Scolochloa festucacea

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; fleshy. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–6 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; 15–25 cm long. Panicle branches angular; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus pilose. Floret callus hairs 0.1–0.2 length of lemma.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 5–6 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6 mm long; scarious; without keel; 7 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or granulose. Lemma apex erose; acute. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, and China. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, northwest USA, and north-central USA.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

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