Festuca wolgensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms 30–58 cm long. Culm-internodes antrorsely scabrous; distally glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with 0 of their length closed; with flat margins; pubescent. Leaf-sheath auricles erect; obtuse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; elliptic in section; 0.5–0.75 mm wide; glaucous. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5–7 vascular bundles; with 3–5 inner ridges; with sclerenchyma strands widened to form a discontinuous subepidermal layer, or with unevenly thickened subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; interrupted; 7.5–12 cm long. Panicle branches pubescent.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–6 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 obscured by lemmas.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.7–4.1 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough above. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma oblong; 5.2–5.8 mm long; chartaceous; mid-green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous; rough above. Lemma margins ciliate. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1–1.5 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid. Hilum linear. Disseminule comprising a caryopsis and palea.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Eur 1995.

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