Class
Order
Family
Genus
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Festuca actae Connor, New Zealand J. Bot. 36: 335 (1998)
Synonymy:
- = Festuca ovina var. eu-matthewsii Howarth, 48: 65 (1928) nom. inval.
- = Festuca ovina var. grandiflora Howarth, 48: 64 (1928)
- = Festuca ovina var. grandiflora Howarth, 48: 66 (1928)
- ≡ Festuca novae-zelandiae var. grandiflora (Howarth) St.-Yves, Candollea 4: 298 (1931)
- = Festuca petriei f. tenuifolia Howarth, 48: 71 (1928)
Description
Slender tussock with intravaginal branches, with fine and long glaucous leaf-blades. Prophyll 3–5 cm, keels irregularly but mostly antrorsely ciliate. Leaf-sheath 5–10 cm, stramineous occasionally reddened, glabrous, striate, margins becoming membranous; apical auricles 0.4–0.7 mm, truncate or rounded, ciliate. Ligule as for auricles. Collar 0.6–1.7 mm, manifestly thickened, usually becoming brown coloured, adaxially with many small white hairs. Leaf-blade 20–60 cm × 0.4–0.7 mm diam., terete or hexagonal and ribbed, glaucous, glabrous except for prickle-teeth at pointed apex, disarticulating at collar, adaxially and on margin a multitude of small (0.1–0.15 mm) white hairs; TS: 5 vascular bundles, 7–11 sclerenchyma strands. Culm 25–60 cm, erect or geniculate at base, nodes 2–3 evident, internodes glabrous. Panicle 5–25 cm, with 7–9 nodes of 10–30 spikelets; basal branches 4–5 cm, binate, lax, of 2–6 spikelets and naked below, soon becoming single ascending branches, uppermost 3–5 spikelets solitary on pedicels; rachis glabrous or sparsely prickle-toothed below becoming more so, branches and pedicels prickle-toothed. Spikelets 10–17 mm × 6 mm, of 4–7–(12) florets. Glumes unequal, keeled, prickle-teeth on keel and at apex, variously elsewhere, usually green centrally lighter at margins, sometimes purpled, margin ciliate; lower 3–4.5 mm, 1-nerved, long triangular acute, upper 4.5–7.5 mm, 3-nerved occasionally 5-nerved, narrowly ovate, acute to obtuse. Lemma 6–9 mm, rounded, lobes small (0.1–0.2 mm), glaucous, prickle-teeth from outer nerve to ciliate margin, scattered elsewhere, denser near awn; awn 0.1–2.5 mm. Palea 6–8 mm, sometimes > lemma, deeply (0.4–0.6 mm) bifid, keels toothed to base or nearly so, flanks and interkeel hairy above. Callus 0.2–0.5 mm, margin very short stiff hairy; articulation flat. Rachilla 1–1.5 mm, very shortly antrorsely stiff hairy. Lodicules 0.7–1.5 mm, lobed or entire, hair-tipped. Anthers 3.5–4.4 mm, yellow. Gynoecium: ovary 0.5–1 mm, hispid hairs at apex (0.12 mm) in 2 lateral groups or occasionally surrounding apex and longer; stigma-styles 1.4–2.8 mm. Caryopsis 3–4.8 mm; embryo 1 mm; hilum 1.7–3 mm.
[From: Edgar and Connor (2000) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 5 (second printing).]
Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
Bibliography
Connor, H.E. 1998: FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND VOL. 5 - GRAMINEAE PART 12 - FESTUCA (POEAE, GRAMINEAE) IN NEW ZEALAND - I - INDIGENOUS TAXA. New Zealand Journal of Botany 36(3): 329–367.
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Hitchmough, R.; Townsend, A.J. 2009: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand (2008 revision). New Zealand Journal of Botany 47: 61–96. [Naturally uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Norton, D.A.; Heenan, P.B.; Courtney, S.P.; Molloy, B.P.J.; Ogle, C.C.; Rance, B.D. 2004: Threatened and uncommon plants of New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Botany 42(1): 45–76.
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Naturally Uncommon]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Naturally Uncommon]
Howarth, W.O. 1928: The genus Festuca in New Zealand. J.Linn.Soc.Lond. 48: 57–77.
Saint-Yves, A. 1931: Festuca de la Nouvelle-Zélande (Herbier du Professeur Wall). Candollea 4: 293–307.
