Festuca cretacea, T. Popov & Proskorj.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1980, Flora Europaea. Volume 5. Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledones), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press : 142

78. F. cretacea T. Popov & Proskorj. , Bjull. Obsc. Estestv.- Vorononez. Univ. 2: 46 (1927)

( F. rubra var. cretacea Lavrenko ).

Rather densely caespitose; stems 30-50 cm. Leaves 0-55-1 (-1 -4) mm wide, with dense, long hairs, very rigid, acute, glaucous, smooth except for the apex; veins 7; sclerenchymastrands 5, very stout; ribs with sclerenchyma; sheaths closed to the mouth, densely tomentose, not or scarcely fibrous in decay; ligule a short rim. Panicle 7-13 cm, rather lax, erect, the branches patent at anthesis, with dense, short hairs. Spikelets 8-6-10 mm, green. Upper glume 3-4-6-5 x 1-4-1-7 mm, oblong-lanceolate, long-acuminate. Lemma 5-7-1 x 1-8—2-1 mm; awn 0-4-1-5 mm. Chalk outcrops. • S.C. Russia, E. Ukraine. Rs (C, E).

(iv) Sheaths without deeply infolded thin margins. Ligule with auricles; sheaths usually closed for most of their length, usually decaying into fibres. Non-flowering shoots intravaginal. Leaves smooth; sclerenchyma nearly always in 3 separate strands.