Festuca pinifolia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 10–38 cm long. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 1 of their length closed; with flat margins; glabrous on surface. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; acuminate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades curved; aciculate; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 1–4 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide; coriaceous; stiff; light green; pruinose. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5(–7) vascular bundles; with 5 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 4–6 cm long; bearing few spikelets. 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; 7.3–9 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5 mm long; 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, or oblong; 3.8–6.3 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 4.6–7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–2.7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

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

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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