Festuca forrestii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; 2 -noded; with 0.66 of their length below uppermost node. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curved; filiform; conduplicate; 10–30 cm long; 0.75 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scabrous. Leaf-blade apex hardened.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above.

Panicle contracted; oblong; 3–9 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1 -nate; bearing 2–4 fertile spikelets on each lower branch. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 6–7 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; laterally compressed; 9–10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume linear; 2.5–3.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–6 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma midvein scabrous. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 4–7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea surface scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–3 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. St Yves 2001.

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