Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca dolichophylla J.Presl

First published in C.B.Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1: 258 (1830)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Peru to Bolivia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 65-110 cm long; 2-4 mm diam. Culm-nodes constricted; brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; involute; 25-50 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 6-12 inner ridges. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially; glabrous, or puberulous; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle 8-15 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous above. Panicle open; elliptic; nodding; 10-25 cm long; 3-4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2 -nate; 6-12 cm long. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 5-7 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10-17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 5-7 fertile florets; with a barren rhachilla extension, or with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10-17 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 4-6 mm long; 0.66-0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6-7.2 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5-8 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0-1 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Rhachilla extension 3-4 mm long. Apical sterile florets rudimentary.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.
Reference
Poeae. Fl Costa Rica 1994.
[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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 50-70 cm long; 1 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes terete; smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal. Leaf-sheaths loose; longer than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1 mm long; scaberulous on abaxial surface; truncate. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; conduplicate; 20-30 cm long; 1-1.5 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 5 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands below veins and above all veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scabrous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; 10-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 2 -nate. Panicle axis scaberulous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 9-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1-1.25 mm long; scaberulous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 4-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 9-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1-1.25 mm long; scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 3-3.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4-5 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5-7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
South America: southern South America.
Reference
Poeae. Turpe 2011.
[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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 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