Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca glauca Vill.

First published in Hist. Pl. Dauphiné 2: 99 (1787)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Spain to NW. Italy. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is has environmental uses.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2000–3000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Cundinamarca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 18-46 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.33-0.4 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 0.5-0.85 mm wide; glaucous; pruinose. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 1 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle contracted; 4.4-5.5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes obscured by lemmas.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 3.5-4.2 mm long; 0.8-0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 4.2-4.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.4-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Eur 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]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
festuca azul, pasto azul, pasto chino
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 2000 - 3000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Blue Fescue

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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 Backbone Distributions

    • 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

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0