Festuca sinensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 40–100 cm long; 3–4 -noded. Culm-internodes smooth. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0.33–0.5 of their length closed; scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 12–25 cm long; 1.1–3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade venation with 13–15 secondary veins; 11–13 inner ridges; subepidermal sclerenchyma attached to veins above and below.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; elliptic; loose; 10–15 cm long. Primary panicle branches 7–10 cm long. Panicle axis scabrous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate; laterally compressed; 7–8.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 4.2–4.5 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 6–6.5 mm long; 0.9–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.2–6.6 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous. Lemma apex awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.7–1.3 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous; adorned above; with 0.75 of their length adorned. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.1–1.25 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China.

NOTES Poeae. Alexeev 2001.

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