List of characters used for the cladistic analysis, referred to in Chen, X., Aiken, S.G., Dallwitz, M.J., and Bouchard, P. 2004. Systematic studies of Festuca (Poaceae) occurring in China compared with taxa in North America. (In review: Can. J. Bot.)
Numbers in parentheses are those corresponding to characters in the longer annotated character list. Characters used in the diagnostic short descriptions are indicated by superscript D. The numeric characters were automatically converted to multistate characters for this analysis.
1 (10). DPlants <clustering at base>/
1. solitary/
2. loosely tufted to turf <or mat> forming/
3. densely tufted to pluricespitose
<separate clumps linked by rhizomes>/
2 (12). Plants with <non-flowering shoots as a proportion of the
simultaneously set shoots>/
1. non-flowering shoots more common than flowering shoots/
2. non-flowering shoots less common than flowering shoots to non-flowering shoots rare or absent/
3 (13). Plants with leaves <position>/
1. mostly basal/
2. cauline <few basal leaves>/
4 (14). Plants with tillering leaves <relative length>/
1. 1/4 to 1/3 the length of the culms/
2. over half the length of the culms/
5 (18). DRhizomes <presence>/
1. present <distinct>/
2. absent <or very short> <<implicit>>/
6 (22). Culms <width>/
1. up to 1.7 mm wide/
2. 1.71 mm wide or more /
7 (39). DAuricles <presence, form>/
1. claw-like <falcate>/
2. erect swellings <usually adnate to ligule, i.e. ligules higher on the sides than in the centre> to erect and connate forming a tooth opposite blade <when sheath tubular>/
3. absent <the auricle positions rounded but without distinct swellings>/
8 (42). Ligules <length>/
1. up to 1 mm long/
2. 1.1 mm long or more /
9 (49). DLeaf blades <shape>/
1. flat/
2. involute to conduplicate/
10 (54). Leaf blades adaxial surfaces <pubescence whether present>/
1. glabrous /
2. with trichomes/
11 (61). Flag leaves blades <length relative to sheath length/
1. much shorter than the sheath <rudimentary> to distinctly shorter than
the sheath <20-45%?>/
2. nearly equal to the sheath to distinctly longer than the sheath/
12 (65). Adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands <presence>/
1. present/
2. absent/
13 (79). Number of spikelets per inflorescences branches/
1. up to 7 fertile spikelets on the longest branches/
2. 8 fertile spikelets on the longest branches or more/
14 (103). DFirst glume <length>/
1. up to 2 mm long/
2. 2.1 to 5 mm long/
3. 5.1 mm long or more /
15 (107). DSecond glume <shape>/
1. linear to lanceolate/
2. broadly lanceolate to ovate/
16 (108). DSecond glume <length>/
1. up to 5 mm long/
2. 5.1 mm long or more /
17 (111). DSecond glume <length relative to first lemma>/
1. shorter than first lemma/
2. similar in length to first lemma/
18 (112). Second glume/
1. up to 0.6 <length as fraction> as long as the spikelets/
2. 0.61 <length as fraction> as long as the spikelets or more /
19 (113). Rachilla internodes <length>/
1. up to 1.1 mm long/
2. 1.2 mm long or more /
20 (122). Lemmas <keel shape at mid point>/
1. strongly compressed with a distinct keel or weakly keeled/
2. somewhat dorsally compressed/
3. rounded on the back/
21 (124). Lemmas <venation>/
1. with distinct veins in dorsal view/
2. nerveless in dorsal view or sometimes with only the centre vein
distinct/
22 (125). DLemmas <surface pubescence whether presence>/
1. glabrous/
2. with trichomes/
23 (130). Lemmas apices <shape>/
1. entire <<implicit>>/
2. notched <bifid, or apically cleft> to erose/
24 (131). Lemmas apices <shape>/
1. obtuse to acute/
2. acuminate to apiculate/
25 (132). DLemmas apices awns <presence>/
1. present <<implicit>>/
2. absent/
26 (133). Lemmas apices awns <length>/
1. 0 mm long/
2. 0.1 to 2 mm long/
3. 2.1 mm long or more /
27 (134). DLemmas apices awns <relative length>/
1. much shorter than the lemmas/
2. about as long as the lemmas to much longer than the lemmas/
28 (135). DPaleas <length>/
1. up to 6 mm long/
2. 6.1 mm long or more /
29 (136). Paleas <width>/
1. up to 0.8 mm between the keels/
2. 0.81 mm or more between the keels /
30 (138). DPaleas keels <vestiture>/
1. glabrous/
2. scaberulous to scabrous/
31 (139). Paleas inter-keel regions <vestiture>/
1. glabrous/
2. punctiform to scabrous/
3. puberulent to aculeate/
32 (145). DAnthers <length>/
1. up to 2.3 mm long/
2. 2.4 mm long or more /
33 (146). DOvary apices <of female-fertile florets, whether glabrous or hairy>/
1. glabrous/
2. hairy/
34 (150). Hilums <form>/
1. short to short-linear <less than half as long as fruit>/
2. long-linear <more than half as long as the fruit>/