Festuca altaica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 60–100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Collar glabrous. Leaf-blades erect; conduplicate; 2.5–4 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Monoecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle open; elliptic; dense; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending; 1–2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 10–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–7 mm long; 0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7–8 mm long; chartaceous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface scaberulous; hirsute. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 3.5–4.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, China, and Mongolia. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, and northeast USA.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pac NW 1994.

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