Festuca kashmiriana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 10–25 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or ovate; nodding; 6–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches capillary; scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 10–13 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 2 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.7–4.4 mm long; 0.66–0.88 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4–5.3 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 5.5–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.5–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.5–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia and China. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Pak 1993.

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