Festuca drymeja

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 70–130 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 20–30 cm long; 6–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; pyramidal; nodding; 10–30 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; scarious; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.6–3.9 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; scarious; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate, or ovate; 4.2–5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex obtuse, or acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear; 0.5 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Caucasus and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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