Festuca ampla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 50–100 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.1–0.3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 4–6.8 cm long; 0.4–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; loose; 5–30 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 7–19 mm long; 2.5–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 2.3–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 3–6.5 mm long; 0.7–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.3–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2.3–4 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern. Africa: north.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Extremad 1993.

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