Festuca sardoa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 12–37 cm long; 0.5–0.7 mm diam. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.1–0.25 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.3–0.4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; ovate; 2–5 cm long. Panicle branches puberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 8–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 4.6 mm long; 0.75–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse, or acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.2–5.8 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–1.2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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