Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca atlantica Duval-Jouve

First published in P.C.Billot, Annot. Fl. France Allemagne: 242 (1859)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Algeria. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms geniculately ascending; 30-50 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.33 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-nodes black. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2-0.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 6-20 cm long; 0.6-0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above. Panicle open; linear, or oblong; dense; 3-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed; 1-2 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels tip widened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; compressed slightly; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5-3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 3-4 mm long; 0.33-0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 3.75-5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth, or scaberulous. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2.5-3 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; sulcate on hilar side; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Africa: north.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Afr N 1994.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0