Festuca nepalica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; scaberulous; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3–4 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 1.5–2.5 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; oblong; loose; 10–14 cm long. Panicle axis smooth, or with occasional prickles. Panicle branches smooth, or with occasional prickles.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 11–16 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; hyaline; pallid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; hyaline; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 9–10 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3; 5–5.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female; a panicle. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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