Festuca boriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 15–30 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.66 of their length closed. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 0.55–0.95 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins, or attached to veins below; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle antrorsely scabrous above.

Panicle contracted; linear; 7–10 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 5–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8.5–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.8–7.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 3–5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. 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-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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