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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca brevissima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 3–10 cm long; 1 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades straight; filiform; convolute; 1.5–5 cm long; 0.25–0.4 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 5 secondary veins; with 3 inner ridges; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 2–8 fertile spikelets. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above; glabrous.

Panicle open; ovate; 1–4 cm long. Primary panicle branches spreading; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches with occasional prickles.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–6 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface smooth, or asperulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5–4.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.7–0.8 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2.5 mm long; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet far east.

NOTES Poeae. Jurtzev 1995.

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