Festuca dimorpha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 30–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; flat, or conduplicate; 1 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; pubescent. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 6–10 cm long. Panicle branches capillary.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 7.3–7.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 7.3–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; dark green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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