Festuca of China

Xiang Chen, S. G. Aiken, and M. J. Dallwitz

Festuca chumbiensis E. Alexeev Byull. Mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. Biol. 83(4): 118. t. 4(b-e). 1978.

´ºØ§¹ÈÑòé CHUN PI GU YANG MAO.

Type: China:Xizang:Chumbi valleys, Ajatung, Bor and Kirat Ram, 20044, 5, Jun. 1945, on wet sand in the bed of the Amochu, 10,500', K, selected by E. Alexeev 1975. Subg. Festuca L. sect. Festuca.

Vegetative morphology. Plants turf forming. Plants clumped moderately. Plants with non-flowering shoots less common than flowering shoots. Plants with leaves mostly basal. Plants with shoots intravaginal. Culms 20–50 cm tall. Culms 1–1.5 mm wide. Culms geniculate (slightly), or strict, erect. Culms internodes glabrous, or pubescent. Culms internodes smooth, or ridged or striped (slightly). Culms nodes 1–2. Uppermost culms nodes in lower 1/3 of the culm. Sheaths shorter than the internode. Sheaths glabrous. Sheaths open more than half their length. Sheaths not conspicuous at the base of the plant. Sheaths splitting between the veins. Auricles erect swellings. Ligules 0.3–0.4 mm long. Ligules glabrous. Ligules membranous. Ligules margins ciliate, or ciliolate. Leaf blades erect, stiffish. Leaf blades filiform. Leaf blades conduplicate. Leaf blades 4–7 cm long. Leaf blades adaxial surfaces glabrous, or with trichomes. Leaf blades adaxial surfaces scabrous (spare). Leaf blades abaxial surfaces glabrous. Flag leaves blades 3–4.5 cm long. Flag leaves blades distinctly shorter than the sheath. Leaf blades 0.7–0.8 mm wide. Leaf blades 0.9–1.1 mm deep. Veins 7. Adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands absent. Abaxial sclerenchyma well developed. Abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow or discrete strands. Ribs 3–5 (not well defined).

Floral morphology. Inflorescences narrowly lanceolate, or lanceolate. Inflorescences contracted. Inflorescences 3–5(–7) cm long. Inflorescences branches 0.5–1.5 cm long. Inflorescences lowest internodes 0.7–1.1 cm long. Inflorescences branches at the lowest nodes 1–2. Inflorescences branches appressed after anthesis. Inflorescences branches scabrous all over. Inflorescences branches vestiture moderate, or dense. Pedicels 1–4 mm long. Spikelets evenly distributed along the branches, or lower third of the branches without spikelets. Spikelets 5–5.5 mm long. Spikelets greenish, or brown. Spikelets lanceolate, or narrowly lanceolate. Florets 4–5. Glumes membranous. Glumes with trichomes. Glumes surfaces scabrous. Glumes margins ciliolate, or ciliate. Glumes apices accuminate. First glume lanceolate. First glume 1.6–2 mm long. First glume 1 nerved. Second glume ovate. Second glume 3–3.5 mm long. Second glume 3 nerved. Second glume similar in length to first lemma. Rachilla internodes 0.6–1 mm long. Rachilla internodes antrorsely scabrous. Rachilla internodes flattened, or cylindrical. Lemmas 3–3.5 mm long. Lemmas lanceolate, or broadly lanceolate. Lemmas membranous. Lemmas somewhat dorsally compressed, or rounded on the back. Lemmas veins 3–4. Lemmas with trichomes. Lemmas scabrous. Lemmas trichomes on the upper portion. Lemmas apices acute, or accuminate. Lemmas apices awns 0.8–1.8 mm long. Lemmas apices awns much shorter than the lemmas. Paleas 3.3–3.7 mm long. Paleas equal or subequal to the lemmas. Paleas keels scaberulous, or scabrous. Paleas inter-keel regions pubescent, or scabrous. Anthers 1.1–1.5 mm long. Ovary apices glabrous. Fruits 2–2.5 mm long.

Ecology. Flowering time Jun. In wet places; 3300–5000 m. Distribution. Southwestern China: Xizang.

Notes. Alexeev (1978) provided a F. trachyphyllaleaf-cross section illustration when he described this taxon. The illustration at http://cdelta.ibcas.ac.cn. was drawn from a leaf from the type specimen with permission.

Illustrations. • Type specimen: KEW. Annotated as "Festuca chumbiensis typus" by E Alexeev in VI 1975. KEW: H2000/ 02132 14. The field number is 20044, collected by BOR and KIRAT RAM on 5–6–1945, in wet place, 3300–5000 m. Chumbi Valley, Xizang (Tibet). Note narrow, spike-like inflorecences, and leaves mostly in a basal tuft. • Leaf anatomy. Illustraton from Byull. Mosk. Obshch. Ispyt. Prir. Biol. 83(4): 118. t. 4(b-e). 1978, with the original description. Leaf blades erect, stiffish, filiform, conduplicate, 0.7–0.8 mm wide, 0.9–1.1 mm deep; veins 7; adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands absent; abaxial sclerenchyma well developed, in discrete, relatively narrow strands opposite the veins; ribs 3–5 (not very well defined). • Dissected florets. Floret of type specimen (KEW: H2000/ 02132 14). From left, short glumes attached to a pedicel; small anther approximately 1 mm long; lemma 3–3.5 mm long with an awn almost as long as teh lemma; palea as long or slightly longer than teh lemma; caryopsis. Next lemma with a distinctly shorter awn, palea longer than the lemma, and caryopsis and ovary. • Distribution map.