Festuca artvinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 31–42 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.33 of their length closed; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.4–0.75 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades erect; filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7(–9) vascular bundles; with 4–6 inner ridges; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pubescent; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 4.5–6 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 4.2–4.6 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; much thinner above; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.8–6 mm long; 2.3–2.6 mm wide; chartaceous; yellow and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1997.

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