Festuca venusta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms slender; 20–50 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; convolute; 0.3–0.8 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation with 5–9 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; nodding; 5–7 cm long. Panicle branches flexuous.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 3–4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 6–7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 3 mm long; 0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 4.5–5 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex acute; muticous. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.4–0.8 mm long. Ovary with a few apical hairs.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Siberia and Mongolia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl USSR 1995.

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