Festuca hondae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 15–30 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.75 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 5–12 cm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands above all veins; with 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 2.5–4.5 cm long. Panicle branches smooth.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.5–5.7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–2.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Palea apex entire. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1.8–2 mm long. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: eastern Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1996.

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