Festuca decolorata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped moderately. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Basal innovations extravaginal and intravaginal. Culms 15–32 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; with flat margins; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; angular in section; 0.25–0.35 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 4–5 vascular bundles; with 3 inner ridges; with 7 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands; with subepidermal sclerenchyma strands similar in size; with subepidermal sclerenchyma free from veins; without layer of subepidermal sclerenchyma masking vein striation. Leaf-blade surface smooth; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex obtuse, or abruptly acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth; pubescent above.

Panicle open; lanceolate; interrupted; 4–7 cm long. Panicle branches pilose.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 4–5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate, or oblong; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5–3.6 mm long; chartaceous; with scarious margins; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.7–4.2 mm long; chartaceous; purple; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy above. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1.7 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea surface pilose; hairy above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; hairy at apex. Hilum linear.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Fl Turk 1997.

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