Festuca lenensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 20–40 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.5–0.75 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades straight, or curved; filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 5–15 cm long; 0.5–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough abaxially; pubescent; densely hairy; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear; 2.5 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2–3 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.8–2 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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