Festuca paphlagonica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths withering. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 30–45 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0 of their length closed; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.5–0.85 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–8 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; lanceolate; dense; 3–8 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 8–9.7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 4.9–5.2 mm long; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 5.7–6.3 mm long; 2–2.5 mm wide; chartaceous; mid-green; without exudate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 2–3 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1997.

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