Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca tarmensis Pilg.

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 37: 515 (1906)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peru. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-40 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5-0.6 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate, or involute; 7-20 cm long; 1-2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; linear; interrupted; 8-13 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5-4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5-5 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 5-5.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5-1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea surface pubescent; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2.2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Poeae. Tovar 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: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. 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