Festuca chumbiensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 20–50 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth, or scaberulous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.4–0.5 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.6–0.75 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins; 3–5 inner ridges; 5–7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 3–5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–1.8 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.1–1.3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. Alex 1995.

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