Festuca sibirica

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 20–45 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 20–40 cm long; 2–4 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Dioecious. Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle contracted; linear, or oblong; 3–7 cm long. Primary panicle branches 1–2 -nate.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4(–5) fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 7–8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes scaberulous.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5–4 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of upper glume; hyaline; pallid; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; 4–5 mm long; 0.6–0.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; hyaline; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic; 7–7.5 mm long; membranous; much thinner above; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

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

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, western Asia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. WDC.

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