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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca loricata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–80 cm long; 1 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; smooth, or antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–35 cm long; 2–3 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 17–25 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading; 5–11 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes smooth, or scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.3 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5–7 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein smooth, or scaberulous. Upper glume lateral veins obscure. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous; hairy above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Poeae. Tovar 1995.

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