Festuca olgae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–85 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades convolute; 20–40 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; scaberulous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open, or contracted; lanceolate, or ovate; 6–14 cm long. Panicle branches smooth, or scaberulous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 9–12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4–4.6 mm long; 0.75–0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.2–6 mm long; 0.66–0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile florets female. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or oblong; 6.5–8.5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner above; much thinner on margins; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface asperulous; glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex entire, or erose; obtuse; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 2.75–4 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

MALE Male inflorescence similar to female. Male spikelets resembling female.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, 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.