Festuca afghanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 4–8 cm long; 1 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 6–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; 1 -nate. Panicle branches scabrous; rough distally.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.2 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.3–0.8 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.5–1.7 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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