Parafestuca E. Alekseev
Sometimes referred to Festuca (F. albida)
Habit, vegetative morphology. Perennial; densely caespitose. Culms 25–100 cm high; herbaceous; unbranched above. Young shoots intravaginal. Leaves non-auriculate. The sheaths splitting longitudinally into fibres. Leaf blades linear; broad to narrow; 3–10 mm wide (-12); flat, or rolled (convolute); not pseudopetiolate; without cross venation; persistent; an unfringed membrane; truncate; 0.8–2 mm long.
Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual, with bisexual spikelets; with hermaphrodite florets.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence paniculate; open to contracted; espatheate; not comprising ‘partial inflorescences’ and foliar organs. Spikelet-bearing axes persistent. Spikelets not secund; pedicellate.
Female-fertile spikelets. Spikelets 6–8(–10) mm long; compressed laterally; disarticulating above the glumes; disarticulating between the florets. Rachilla prolonged beyond the uppermost female-fertile floret; the rachilla extension with incomplete florets. Hairy callus present. Callus short.
Glumes two; very unequal; shorter than the spikelets; long relative to the adjacent lemmas; hairless; scabrous (marginally and below); pointed; awnless; carinate; similar (lanceolate). Lower glume 1 nerved. Upper glume 3 nerved. Spikelets with incomplete florets. The incomplete florets distal to the female-fertile florets. The distal incomplete florets merely underdeveloped. Spikelets without proximal incomplete florets.
Female-fertile florets 2–3(–4). Lemmas similar in texture to the glumes; not becoming indurated; entire; pointed; awnless; hairless; scabrous (on the keel); carinate; 3 nerved. Palea present; relatively long to conspicuous but relatively short; apically notched; awnless, without apical setae; not indurated; 2-nerved; 2-keeled. Palea keels wingless; scabrous to hairy (below). Lodicules present; 2; free; membranous; glabrous; toothed (the teeth equal); not or scarcely vascularized. Stamens 3. Anthers 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Stigmas 2.
Fruit, embryo and seedling. Fruit small to medium sized (3.5 – 4 mm long); fusiform; somewhat compressed dorsiventrally (ventrally). Hilum short. Embryo small.
Transverse section of leaf blade, physiology. C3. Leaf blade with distinct, prominent adaxial ribs; with the ribs very irregular in sizes. Midrib conspicuous; with one bundle only. Bulliforms present in discrete, regular adaxial groups; in simple fans. All the vascular bundles accompanied by sclerenchyma. Combined sclerenchyma girders present (with the main bundles only); forming ‘figures’ (in the main bundles).
Taxonomy. Pooideae; Poodae; Poeae.
Distribution, ecology, phytogeography. 1 species; Madeira.
Holarctic. Tethyan. Macaronesian.
References, etc. Morphological/taxonomic: Alekseev 1985. Leaf anatomical: Alekseev 1985.
Special comments. Anatomical data for ts only.
Cite this publication as: Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M. J. (1992 onwards). ‘Grass Genera of the World: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval; including Synonyms, Morphology, Anatomy, Physiology, Phytochemistry, Cytology, Classification, Pathogens, World and Local Distribution, and References.’ http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/. Version: 18th August 1999. Dallwitz (1980), Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993 onwards, 1998), and Watson and Dallwitz (1994), and Watson, Dallwitz, and Johnston (1986) should also be cited (see References).