Festuca achtarovii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 25–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.33 of their length closed. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 3–7 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside, or with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle contracted; linear, or oblong; interrupted; 6–9 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.1–6.2 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3.5 mm long overall; 0.5 length of lemma. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

CLEISTOGENES AND VIVIPARY Vegetative proliferation absent, or occurs.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southeastern.

NOTES Poeae. Velcher 2005.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.