Festuca dolichantha

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect; 100 cm long; 3–4 mm diam.; 2–3 -noded. Culm-internodes distally pruinose. Leaf-sheaths 30 cm long; smooth, or scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–5 mm long; lacerate; acute. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 10–20 cm long; 6 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 20 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2 -nate; 6–11 cm long; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 11–14 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume linear; 4–5.5 mm long; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume linear; 5.5–7 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 10–11 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 3–4 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 6 mm long; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. Keng 2000.

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