NOTES ON SOME GRASSES: X. SOME THOUGHTS ON FESTUCEAE, FESTUCINAE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THEIR MORPHOLOGY

Abstract

The flowers and caryopses of Festuceae, Festucinae (sensu Pilger, 1954) have been morphologically studied. All the genera, which show non-festucoid features in respect to non-morphological characters, are also different from true Festuceae, Festucinae in such details of their morphology as lodicules, pistils, and caryopses. On the other hand, the festucoid genera are very closely related to one another as regards these organs. The systematic positions of the genera showing non-festucoid traits in non-morphological characters are being considered in connection with their characteristics of flowers and caryopses. The results clearly indicate that the conventional treatment of morphological characteristics, in which stress is laid on some macroscopic characters, such as inflorescences or the appearance of lemmas, is quite inadequate, and that great attention should be paid to the features of flowers and caryopses, as well as spikelets and other morphological characters. A new tribe Brylkinieae is proposed.