Festuca saurica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms 7–15 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; with 0.66–0.75 of their length closed; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 2–6 cm long; 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 7 secondary veins; 3 inner ridges; 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough abaxially; puberulous; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; 1.5–3 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous. Panicle branches scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 5–5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4–4.5 mm long; chartaceous; light brown; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.8 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned all along. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 1995.

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