Festuca dahurica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; 25–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.6–0.7 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; dense; 5–8 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

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

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; muticous, or mucronate. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, China, and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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