Festuca thermarum

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 25–60 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; striately veined. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 0.75–1 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; 5–12 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 0.75–1.5 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–6 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.

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