Festuca dracomontana

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 50–80 cm long. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 50–80 cm long; 2–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches bearing 1–5 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–4 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Poeae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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