Festuca sanjappae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Culms erect; slender; 35–43 cm long; 1–2.5 mm diam. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.4 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades 6–10 cm long; 3–4 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 3 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; lanceolate, or elliptic; 6.5–14 cm long; 1.5–2.5 cm wide. Primary panicle branches ascending; 1.5–2.3 cm long.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; laterally compressed; 4–5 mm long; 1.8–2.2 mm wide; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.7–4 mm long; 0.9 length of upper glume; chartaceous; light green; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; light green; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma elliptic, or ovate; 3.9–4.2 mm long; 0.9–1.1 mm wide; chartaceous; light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma hairs 0.3–0.5 mm long. Lemma apex emarginate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 14–16 mm long overall. Palea lanceolate; 3.2–3.8 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.2–0.35 mm long. Anthers 3; 0.3–0.5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 3–3.5 mm long; dark brown.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Poeae. Sekar & Srivastra 2006.

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