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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 plebeia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 70–90 cm long; 1–2 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades aciculate; conduplicate; 5–8 cm long; 1–1.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 50–70 cm long.

Panicle contracted; linear; 7–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–2 -nate; 1–3 cm long; bearing 1–3 fertile spikelets on each lower branch (1 on shorter branch). Panicle axis angular; scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 15–18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent, or distinct. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.5–0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Palea surface scaberulous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; sulcate on hilar side.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Poeae. Vickery.

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