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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 simpliciuscula

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; slender; 30–80 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–40 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; linear; 6–12 cm long; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 14–15 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5–6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6.5–8 mm long; 0.66–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with hyaline margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6.5–12 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface puberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 0.6–0.9 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. ALEXEEV 2000.

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