Festuca dissitiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–50 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 15–25 cm long; 1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 11 vascular bundles; with 5–6 inner ridges; with 19 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; nodding; 5–8 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate; indistinct the panicle almost racemose. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 4–4.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Turpe 1997.

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