Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca geniculata (L.) Lag. & Rodr.

First published in Anales Ci. Nat. 6: 150 (1803)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Macaronesia, NW. Europe to W. & Central Medit. It is an annual 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
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30-70(-115) cm long. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5-1.5 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 3-15 cm long; 1.5-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; lanceolate; secund; 5-26 cm long; 1-6 cm wide. Primary panicle branches appressed. Panicle axis scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels clavate; 3.5-10 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.1-0.2 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong, or cuneate; laterally compressed; 7-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Floret callus brief; 0.1-0.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume linear; 3-5.5 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Upper glume lanceolate; 5.5-9 mm long; 1.1-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex acute; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5-7.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lemma apex attenuate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn (2.5-)4-8 mm long overall. Palea 4-5.5 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1.8-2.8 mm long; eventually exserted. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; linear; glabrous.
Distribution
Europe: northern, southwestern, and southeastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia.
Reference
Poeae. Gr Extremad 1993.
[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