Festuca lasiorrhachis

HABIT Perennial. Culms 50–70 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.7–1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 15–35 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; lanceolate; 15–20 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending. Panicle axis villous. Panicle branches villous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 8–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.7–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.7–5.5 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins pubescent. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Gr Peru 1997.

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