Festuca elata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes absent, or short. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms 60–85 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths with 0.2–0.5 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–3.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 4–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; 12–26 cm long. Panicle axis scaberulous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 8–9 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; 2.5–3.2 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–4.8 mm long; 0.5–0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 7.5–8.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface glabrous. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 8–13 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; with 0.33 of their length adorned. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.7–2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3 mm long. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2000.

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