Festuca handelii (Saint-Yves) E. Alexeev Byull. Mosk. O-Va Ispyt. Prir. Otd. Biol. 82: 95–102. 1977.
Festuca modesta Steudel subsp. hendelii Saint-Yves, in Symb. Sin. 7. (1936). Type: Handel-Mazzetti, Iter Sinense, No 7370, 31, VII 1915 (W). Prov. Setschwan austro-occid. in Muli, 3600–3700 m. Subg. Drymathele Krecz.et Bobr.
Vegetative morphology. Plants with non-flowering shoots less common than flowering shoots. Plants with leaves along the stems. Plants with shoots extravaginal. Culms 60–85 cm tall. Culms internodes glabrous. Culms nodes 2–3. Sheaths shorter than the internode. Sheaths with trichomes. Sheaths pubescent (a few hairs on lower sheaths). Sheaths open more than half their length. Sheaths not conspicuous at the base of the plant. Auricles absent. Ligules 2.5–3.5 mm long. Leaf blades linear. Leaf blades flat (may loosely convolutae). Leaf blades adaxial lateral longitudinal ridges indistinctly raised. Leaf blades 3–4(–6) mm wide. Adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands present. Abaxial sclerenchyma poorly developed.
Floral morphology. Inflorescences broadly lanceolate. Inflorescences loosely open. Inflorescences 15–20 cm long. Inflorescences branches flexible. Inflorescences branches scabrous on the angles. Spikelets 9–10 mm long. Spikelets lanceolate, or broadly lanceolate. Florets 3–4. Glumes with trichomes. Glumes surfaces scabrous. Glumes vestiture on the veins, or over most of the outer surface. First glume narrowly lanceolate. First glume 2.5–3 mm long. Second glume broadly lanceolate. Second glume 4–4.5 mm long. Second glume 1 mm wide. Second glume shorter than first lemma. Rachilla internodes 1–1.5 mm long. Rachilla internodes antrorsely scabrous. Lemmas 6.4(–8) mm long. Lemmas weakly keeled. Lemmas veins 3. Lemmas nerveless in dorsal view or sometimes with only the centre vein distinct. Lemmas glabrous. Lemmas apices awns absent. Lemmas apices awns 0 mm long. Lemmas apices awns much shorter than the lemmas. Paleas keels scabrous. Paleas inter-keel regions punctiform. Anthers 2.8–3.2 mm long. Ovary apices hairy. Ovary hairs sparse, or moderate (with a few hairs).
Ecology. Flowering time July. 3600–3700 m. Distribution. Southwestern China: Sichuan, Yunnan.
Notes. Alexeev (1977) placed this taxon in subg. Drymanthele.
Cite this publication as: ‘Xiang Chen, S.G. Aiken, and M.J. Dallwitz (2002 onwards). Festuca of China: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. Version: 4th February 2003. http://www.cdelta.ibcas.ac.cn’.