Festuca auriculata

Drobow
Common names: Lobed fescue
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 424.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants densely cespitose, without rhizomes. Culms 8-25 (40) cm, erect, smooth, glabrous or pubescent below the inflorescence. Sheaths closed for about 1/2 their length, smooth or scabrous, glabrous or puberulent, persistent; collars glabrous; ligules 0.1-0.5 mm; blades 0.4-0.8 (1) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, pubescent, or pilose, all conditions often present on the same plant, scabrous at the apices, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent on the ribs, veins 5-7, ribs 3-5, 1 distinct and 2-4 indistinct; abaxial sclerenchyma in 3 strands, 2 marginal and 1 opposite the midvein, rarely with 2 additional strands, the strands narrower than the veins and usually less than twice as wide as high; adaxial sclerenchyma strands absent; flag leaf-blades 0.5-2 cm. Inflorescences 2-3.5 cm, racemes or panicles, contracted, with 1 (2) branches per node; branches erect, lower branches usually with 1-2 spikelets. Spikelets 5-6.5 (8) mm, with 3-5 (6) florets. Glumes exceeded by the upper florets, ovate to lanceolate, glabrous, sometimes scabrous distally; lower glumes about 3 mm; upper glumes about 4 mm; lemmas 4-5 mm, ovate to ovatelanceolate, glabrous, sometimes scabrous towards the apices, apices acute, awns 0.8-2 (2.5) mm, terminal; paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region smooth or scabrous distally; anthers 2-3.5 mm; ovary apices glabrous. 2n = 14.

Discussion

Festuca auriculata is an amphiberingian species that extends from the Ural Mountains of Russia through Alaska to the western continental Northwest Territories. It grows on dry, rocky cliffs and slopes, in low arctic and alpine regions. In the Flora region, this species seems to intergrade with, and is sometimes included in, F. lenensis (see next). The two species tend to differ in their leaf surfaces as well as in the width of their sclerenchyma strands. Festuca auriculata has also frequently been included in F. ovina (p. 422).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"wider than long" is not a number."decumbent" is not a number."longest" is not a number.

... more about "Festuca auriculata"
pilose +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
membranous +  and scarious +
pubescent +  and scabrous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
awned +  and entire +
hispidulous +
Stephen J. Darbyshire +  and Leon E. Pavlickf +
Drobow +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
keeled +  and rounded +
swelling +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br />) +
not deciduous +  and deciduous +
not evident +
flat +, convolute +  and setaceous +
spikelike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Lobed fescue +
not branching +
pubescent +, glabrous +  and smooth +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
not woody +
Alaska +  and Yukon +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 5 +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
ovate +  and lanceolate +
unequal +  and subequal +
persisting +
uncinate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
1-7(9)-veined +
awned +  and entire +
ovate +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
coriaceous +, chartaceous +  and membranous +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
with hispidulous apices +  and glabrous +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
spikelike +
dry +  and fleshy +
glabrous +, pubescent +  and scabrous +
2 +  and 4 +
persistent +
puberulent +, glabrous +, scabrous +  and smooth +
compressed +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.65 cm6.5 mm <br />0.0065 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Gramineae +
Festuca auriculata +
Festuca sect. Festuca +
species +
membranous +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
parallel +  and converging +
obscure +  and prominent +
5 (?) +  and 7 (?) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +