Festuca indigesta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–60 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2–0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–15 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear, or oblong; dense; 2–9 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; 2.5–3.3 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 3–4 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4.5–6 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; 5.5–7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.3–3.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, southwestern, and southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Extremad 1993.

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