Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca gracillima Hook.f.

First published in Fl. Antarct.: 383 (1847)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Chile to S. Argentina. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms slender; 30-80 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; conduplicate; 10-40 cm long; 0.5-0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute; pungent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; equilateral, or nodding; 6-12 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences 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.
Fertile
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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.5-6.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 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; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma elliptic; 6.5-12 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface puberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3-5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Pat 1995.
[GB]

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]

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/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