Festuca bucegiensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 6–12 cm long. Leaf-sheaths unthickened at base; tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; obtuse. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.3–0.65 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 1–2.5 cm long. Primary panicle branches simple; bearing 1–2 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5.2–6.2 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4.6 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3.8–4.7 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.6–2.1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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