GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Festuca tzveleviana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2.5–3 mm long; pubescent on abaxial surface; lacerate. Leaf-blades 1–2.5 mm wide; grey-green. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; comprising 3–5 fertile spikelets.

Panicle contracted; linear; bearing few spikelets. Primary panicle branches indistinct the panicle almost racemose; 0.3–1 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous.

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; 15–20 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes pubescent.

GLUMES Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet; similar to fertile lemma in texture. Lower glume lanceolate; 4 mm long; 0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 6 mm long; 0.75 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Fertile lemma lanceolate; 8–9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins ciliate; hairy below. Lemma apex acute. Palea lanceolate, or oblong; 8 mm long; 2 -veined. Palea keels ciliolate. Palea surface pilose; hairy on margins. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid; pubescent. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 5 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia.

NOTES Poeae. Lazkov 2006.

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