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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 molokaiensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 60–70 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; longer than adjacent culm internode; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2.5 mm long; scarious; erose; obtuse. Leaf-blades drooping; 34 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 25 vascular bundles; with sclerenchyma strands below veins. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 75 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; oblong; loose; 8.5–13 cm long; 4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 2–4 -nate; 7 cm long; with lower 0.5 length of panicle. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels (2–)4(–9) mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; 3–4 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous. Floret callus obtuse.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; (5–)5.2–5.5(–5.7) mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; (6–)6.2–6.8(–7) mm long; 1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; (5–)5.5–6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough generally. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–2.5 mm long overall. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.8–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

DISTRIBUTION Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Poeae. Soreng et al 2011.

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