Festuca beckeri

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths pallid, or light brown; pubescent. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect; 20–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; filiform; conduplicate; 0.3–0.7 mm wide; light green. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7–9 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with continuous uniform subepidermal sclerenchyma layer on the underside. Leaf-blade surface smooth. Leaf-blade apex muticous, or pungent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth.

Panicle open; linear; continuous, or interrupted; 6–14 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 elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 4.5–7.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.7–0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or ovate; 2.9–4 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5–4.7 mm long; chartaceous; light green; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.3–0.8 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Lodicules 2. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1993.

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