festuca imbaburensis

Festuca imbaburensis Stančík

TYPE. Folia Geobo. Phytotax. 39(1): 100-102. 2004.Type: Ecuador. Imbabura: Mun. Urcuquí, road to Cerro Yanaurcu, 78º20’04’’W, 00º28’29’’N, pajonal with swampy patches, 4150 m, 15-X-2000, STANČÍK 4098 (holotype: PRC; isotype: AAU, QCA).

DESCRIPTION. Small tussocks, (15-)20-50 cm tall; innovations intravaginal; culms erect, finely scabrid, with one basal node. Sheaths coriaceous-membranous, stramineous, glabrous; ligule membranous, truncate, shortly ciliate, 0.5-0.7 mm long; leaf blades linear, involute, subrigid, obtuse, 9-20 cm long, 0.5-0.6 in diameter, green-glaucescent, glabrous. Panicle contracted, linear, 6-12 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, with few scabrid branches, each with few spikelets. Spikelets 8-10 mm long, lanceolate, with 2-3 florets; rachilla glabrous; glumes rounded (or keeled on back), membranous, dark purple, glabrous or upper 1/4 sparsely papillose; lower glume oblong, 3-3.5 mm long, 1-nerved; upper glume ovate, 4-4.2 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas 5.5-6(-7) mm long, 5-nerved, coriaceous-membranous, lanceolate, dark purple, upper 1/4 scabrid; awn 0.5-0.7 mm long; callus glabrous; palea membranous, lanceolate, two-carinate, upper 1/4 and along keels densely scabrid to pilose, markedly two-dentate, shorter than lemma; lodicules ovate, markedly two-lobate; stamens 3, anthers 3, 1-1.5 mm long; ovary apex glabrous.

LEAF SECTION. Leaf section with 5-7 vascular bundles and 3-5 ribs above; sclerenchyma under abaxial epidermis discontinuous, in small fascicles, adaxial sclernchyma absent; scattered hairs on adaxial epidermis, 0.09 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT. Swampy patches in grass páramo and superpáramo, at an altitude of 3400-4200 m. This species spread from central Ecuador till southern Colombia.

OBSERVATIONS. This species is close to the F. glumosa but differs to have leaves glabrous (not scabrous), slender (0.5-0.6 vs. 0.8-1.4 mm), ligule 0.5-0.7 (vs. 0.8-1.2) mm long. Further, spikelets have glabrous (vs. pilose) rachilla and lemmas 5.5-6 (vs. 7-8) mm long.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. COLOMBIA. Nariño. Mun. Cumbal, Volcano Nevado de Cumbal, N-NE slope, 3700 m, 9-III-1999, STANČÍK 2749 (COL, PRC, US). Mun. Tuquerres, Volcano Azufral, road from vereda San Roque alto to Laguna Verde, km 4, 3700 m, 9-III-1999, STANČÍK 2783 (COL, PRC); road from vereda San Roque Alto to Laguna Verde, km 5, 3800 m, 9-III-1999, STANČÍK 2786 (AAU, COL, PRC).

ECUADOR. Azuay. PN Cajas, trail from Molleturo to Paraguillas, 79º15’W, 02º49’S, 4200-4300 m, LAEGAARD 102666 (AAU); cerro Amarrillo, 79°15´W, 02°45´S, 4300-4400 m, 13-VII-1997, STANČÍK 2056 (PRC, QCA); E flanks and summit area of Cerro Amarillo, 4451 m, páramo with Loricaria sp., Azorella sp., Werneria sp., 79°15´W, 02°45´S, SKLENÁŘ 2596 (PRC, QCA). Bolívar. Road Los Arenales - Salinas, km 4, 78º55’W, 01º24’S, 4300 m, LAEGAARD 55368 (AAU). Carchi. Páramo del Angel, sector Voladero, 67º53’W, 00º38’N, 3400-3800 m, DAVALOS 18 (US). Volcano Los Chiles, 77º57’W, 00º49’N, 3950-3980 m, LAEGAARD 101692 (AAU, QCA); SW slope, 77°57´W, 00°48´N, 4055 m, 14-VII-1999, STANČÍK 3228 (AAU, PRC, QCA, US, W); STANČÍK 3235 (AAU, PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 3267 (AAU, PRC, QCA). Chimborazo. El Altar, N side of Volcano, 4200-4400 m, SKLENÁŘ & KOSTEČKOVÁ 956 (AAU); SKLENÁŘ & KOSTEČKOVÁ 1929 (AAU); SKLENÁŘ & KOSTEČKOVÁ 1031 (US).Alao -Páramo de Laguna Negra, 4100 m, BARCLAY & JUAJIBIOY 8763 (MO, US). E side of Volcano Chimborazo, 4300 m, SKLENÁŘ & SKLENÁŘOVÁ 2168 (AAU). Km 8.5 E of Guardiana Alao above Río Alao, 3350-3550 m, PETERSON et al. 9197 (K, MO, US). E of Licto, 4200 m, RAMSAY 1035 (K, QCA, QCNE). Cotopaxi. Road San Miguel (Salcedo) - Puerto Nuevo (under construction), 29 km from San Miguel, 3950-4050 m, ØLLGAARD & BALSLEV 9921 (AAU, F, MO, NY, S).Páramo de Cotopaxi,T. de Vries s.n. (AAU). Mun. Lasso, NP Cotopaxi, NE side of the Volcano, 78º25´W, 00º 39.3´S, 4220 m, 26-VI-1999, STANČÍK 3098 (AAU, PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 3101 (AAU, PRC, QCA). Imbabura. Páramo de Maríano Acosta, km 25 on the road Yahuarcocha - Maríano Acosta, 78º00’W, 00º20’S, 3650-3750 m, LAEGAARD 101194 (AAU). Mun. Urcuquí, road to Cerro Yanaurcu, S slope, 78°20´28.5´´W, 00°28´56´´N, 4300 m, 15-X-2000, STANČÍK 4081 (AAU, PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 4090 (AAU, PRC, QCA, US); STANČÍK 4091 (AAU, PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 4092B (PRC, QCA). Pichincha. Road Pifo - Pintag, in valley 2.5 hours horseride above Inga Monserat, 78º17’W, 00º19’S, 3950 m, LAEGAARD 102262 (AAU). Along road El Chaupi - Pastocalle, 78º39’W, 00º41’S, 3200-3700 m, LAEGAARD 54548 (MO). Road Quito - Páramo Guamaní, 78º09’W, 00º17’S, ØLLGAARD & BALSLEV 10073 (AAU, F, NY, MO, S); antenna N of pass, 78º09’W, 00º17’S, 4260 m, ØLLGAARD & BALSLEV 10100 (AAU, NY); 78º11’W, 00º17’S, 4250-4400 m, LAEGAARD et al. 53859 (AAU, QCNE); 4050 m, LAEGAARD 101373 (AAU, QCA); peak ca 6 km S of Paso de la Virgen, 78º13’W, 00º21’S, 4200-4250 m, LAEGAARD 55698 (AAU); 4100 m, LAEGAARD 103105 (QCA). N side of Volcano Antisana, km 12 along road to Hda. Antisana, 78º10’W, 00º27’S, 4400-4500 m, LAEGAARD 102871 (AAU). Mun. Pifo, páramo de Guamaní, 78º12´W, 00º 20´S, 4000 m, 19-VI-1999, STANČÍK 3054B (PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 3054A (AAU, PRC, QCA). Superpáramo vegetation on the SW side of Cotacachi, 78°21'W, 00°21'N, 4300-4400 m, 12-VIII-2004, SKLENÁŘ 8204 (PRC). Tungurahua. Along trail from Mesa Tablon to Limpiopungu, S of Laguna Pisayambo, 78º21’W, 01º07’S, 4000-4050 m, LAEGAARD 19452 (AAU). Llanganatis, by lake Aucacocha, 3700 m, EDWARDS 7 (K, P). Mun. Pillaro, Las Llanganatis, 78°20´40´´W, 01°07´55.5´´S, 3900 m, 28-IX-2000, STANČÍK 3898 (PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 3899 (AAU, PRC, QCA); STANČÍK 3990 (PRC, QCA).