Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca sinomutica Xiang Chen & S.M.Phillips

First published in Novon 15: 69 (2005)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is China (Yunnan). It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; robust; 68-75 cm long; 1.5-2 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths loose; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5-2 mm long; 0.5 mm long on basal shoots. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 13-20 cm long; 1-3 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 7 vascular bundles; with 7 inner ridges; with 9 subepidermal sclerenchyma strands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 7-9 cm long. Primary panicle branches 2.5-5 cm long. Panicle branches scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 8-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 17-18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 8-10 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 17-18 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Rhachilla internodes 1 mm long; smooth.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2.5 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate, or oblong; 3.5 mm long; 0.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6.5-7 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels smooth. Palea apex dentate; 2 -fid. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 3 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China.
Reference
Poeae. Lu 1996.
[GB]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0