Festuca, 0. Stapf.] OLXXITI. GRAMINEJI. (J. D. Hooker.) 349 



TEMPEEATE and ALPINE HIMALAYA, alt. 10 -16,000 ft., from Kashmir to Sikkim. 

 DISTEIB. Central and Eastn. Europe, Orient, Central Asia, Rocky Mts. 



Stems 4-14 in. tufted, nodes 2, both in the lower of the stem. Leaves 2-6 in., 

 setiform to capillary, 3-5-nerved, green or glaucous, rarely rough, bands of 

 sclerenchyma distinct ; sheaths of innovs. tight, smooth, open to near the base, 

 persistent when dry ; ligule very short, obscurely auricled. Panicle contracted ; 

 branches erect, solitary or 2-nate ; lateral pedicels shorter than the spikelets. 

 Spikelets oblong, broadly obovate when open, p-ale green or purplish; gl. iJ^in., 

 lanceolate, acute or subacute ; II similar i in. ; fig. gls. |- in., smooth to scaberu- 

 lous, pruinose, 5-nerved ; palea oblong-lanceolate, sub-2-toothed, keels scabrid. 

 Lodicules minute, obliquely ovoid. Anfhers -^^ in., linear. Ovary glabrous. Grain 

 -jL in., ventrally grooved, hilum almost as long as itself. As represented in India 

 F. valesiaca is a very well defined species. 



Var. tibetica, Stapf ; stem 2-6 in., sheaths entire below the middle, panicle -1 

 in. long up to in. broad, flg. gls. in., more or less purplish black and scabrid 

 in the upper , awn minute, anthers ^V~sV in - F. ovina, var. alpina, Griseb. in 

 Goett. Nachr. (1868) 73. Tibet N. of Sikkim, alt. 17-19,000 ft. Differs from 

 P. ovina, var. Halleri, to which it is referred by Hack. I.e. 112, in the sheaths being 

 open to the middle and in the very minute anthers. 



2. F. Cumminsii, Stapf; stem slender, leaves f-4 in., sheath open 

 to below the middle, panicle 2-4 in. narrow nodding or flexuous, branches 

 distant erect and flexuous, spikelets i- in. elliptic or (open) obovate 

 awned, rachilla scabrid, flg. gls. oblong-lanceolate, palea 2-fid, anthers 

 elliptic s*o~F in., grain free. F. duriuscula, Serb. Ind. Or. Hf. fy T. (in 

 part). 



SIKZIM HIMALAYA, alt. 11-12,000 ft., J. D. H. W. BHOTAN, Cummins. 



Stems 1-1 ft-, tufted, nodes 2-3 uppermost towards the middle, smooth except 

 (usually) below the panicle. Leaves setaceous, or cauline rarely flat, very narrow 

 (TO m< ) subacute, smooth, nerves 5 green strong above, obscure beneath, mar- 

 ginal and oarinal bands of sclerenchyma very slender ; sheaths of innovs. open far 

 beyond the middle, smooth, sub persistent, of the cauline leaves tight; ligule short, 

 auricles usually long and acute. Panicle with scabrid rachis ; branches usually 

 solitary, dividing from near the base, scabrid ; lateral pedicels shorter than the spike- 

 lets or very short. Spikelets pale green or purple, more or less scaberulous ; I 

 -Jg-i in., 1 -nerved; II lanceolate, acute, f-^ in., 3 -nerved ; flg. gls. ^-^in., awn 

 half as long to as long as the gl. ; palea as long as the gl., conspicuously 2-fid, more 

 or less scabrid. Lodicules 2-lobed. Ovary glabrous. Grain linear-oblong, f-i in., 

 ventrally grooved, hilum slightly exceeding the middle. 



3. P. polycolea, Stapf \ densely tufted, leaves setaceous, sheaths of 

 innovs. crowded open to the base, panicle 2-3 in. open or contracted 

 rigidly erect, rachis scabrid rarely nodding, branches subsolitary, spikelets 

 -5 in., glumes scabrid, flg. gls. oblong-lanceolate awned, palea 2-fid, anthers 

 linear yV-iV in., grain free. F. duriuscula, Herb. Ind. Or. Hf. & T. (in 

 part). 



NEPAL, Wallich. SIKKIM, alt. 12-16,000 ft., J. D. H., &c. 



Stems f-H ft-, nodes 2 in the lower half or third, smooth or scabrid below the 

 panicle. Leaves rather rigid, of the innovations up to 6-8 in., subacute, smooth, 

 not or obscurely sulcate, 5-nerved, bands of sclerenchyma continuous beneath or 

 nearly so ; sheaths persistent, pale, shining, of the stem tight smooth ; ligule very 

 short, obtusely auricled. Panicle ovate or narrower ; lower branches scabrid, some- 

 times 2-nate, - rarely 1^ in., very sparingly divided from near the base, upper with 

 1-2 spikelets ; lateral pedicels shorter than the spikelets. Spikelets greenish ; 

 glumes firmly membranous ; I T \j in., subulate-lanceolate, 1-nerved ; II f- T 3 o in., 



