Festuca cumminsii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms 8–45 cm long; 2–3 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3–8 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 5 secondary veins; 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle scaberulous above.

Panicle open; linear, or lanceolate; 3–10 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1 -nate. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches flexuous; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; laterally compressed; 6–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; puberulous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–6 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Brit India 1994.

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