Festuca cartagana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 35–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.1–0.3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 7–15 cm long; 2.4–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 15–23 secondary veins; 13–21 inner ridges.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 14–22 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.7–6.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned below; with 0.66–0.75 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1995.

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