Festuca earlei

HABIT Perennial. Rootstock evident. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms slender; 30 cm long. Leaf-sheaths 3–5 cm long; striately veined; smooth. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–10 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 3–5 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 3 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Ovary pubescent on apex.

DISTRIBUTION North America: northwest USA.

NOTES Poeae. Rydberg 2004.

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