Festuca hedgei

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths woolly. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–45 cm long; 2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades flat; 3–6 cm long; 2 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle pubescent above.

Panicle open; linear; 6 cm long; 1 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1–2 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 2–3 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume oblong; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex erose; acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 4–5 mm long; purple. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Iran 1995.

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