Festuca debilis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–65 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 10–25 cm long; 1–3 mm wide; mid-green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 11 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; effuse; 8–17 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending. Panicle branches flexuous; glabrous, or pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 9–11 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.5–5.5 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 5.5–6.5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–8 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; 1.7–2.2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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