Festuca lazistanica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; robust; 20–32 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.75–0.8 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; circular in section; 4–8 cm long; 0.65–0.75 mm wide; pruinose. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands above some veins; with 4 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 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7–8.5 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; 4.8–5.2 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous; rough above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.2–2 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Palea apex entire. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1996.

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