Festuca bushiana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 20–34 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; antrorsely scabrous. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 0.4–0.65 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 1–3 inner ridges; with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 3–5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.2–4.2 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.1–5.5 mm long; chartaceous; dark green and purple; suffused with last colour; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2–2.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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