Festuca bidenticulata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 50–110 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; 15–23 cm long. Panicle axis smooth. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 9.5–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 0.3–1.8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.5–4 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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