Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca sanctae-martae Stancík

First published in Preslia 75: 343 (2003 publ. 2004)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is NE. Colombia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the montane tropical biome.

Descriptions

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 3500–4500 m a.s.l. Endemic to Colombia. Colombian departments: Magdalena.
Habit
Herb.
[UPFC]

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Rhizomes absent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms of moderate stature, or slender; straight; 60-80 cm long; 2-3 -noded; without nodal roots. Culm-internodes terete. Culm-nodes without exudate; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaves mostly basal; 0-2 per branch. Leaf-sheaths tight; unthickened at base; open for most of their length; without keel; striately veined; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-1.6 mm long; membranous; white; entire; truncate. Leaf-blade base symmetrical. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; flat, or conduplicate; angular in section; 25-35 cm long; 1.5-2 mm wide; coriaceous; firm; mid-green, or glaucous. Leaf-blade midrib indistinct, or evident. Leaf-blade venation indistinct, or distinct; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; moderately hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade margins smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; with 1 peduncles per sheath. Peduncle terete; eglandular; smooth, or scaberulous above; glabrous. Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate; continuous; dense; straight; 10-16 cm long; 1.5-2 cm wide; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 10-13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Spikelet callus glabrous. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous; pubescent. Floret callus glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; subequal in width; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 8.5-9.5 mm long; 0.9-1 length of upper glume; hyaline, or membranous, or chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 8.5-10.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; pallid, or light green, or purple; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface asperulous. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; symmetrical; 9-10 mm long; chartaceous; pallid, or mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn stiff; 0.5-1 mm long overall. Palea 0.75 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface asperulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; lanceolate; 1-1.4 mm long; 2-toothed. Anthers 3; 0.8-1.1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; lanceolate. Hilum linear; 0.75 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Poeae. Stancik 2005.
[GB]

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
Endémica y nativa en Colombia; Alt. 3500 - 4500 m.; Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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