Festuca filiformis

Pourr.
Common names: Hair fescue Fine-leaved sheep fescue Fetuque chevelue
Introduced
Synonyms: Festuca tenuifolia Festuca capillata
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, with¬out rhizomes. Culms 18-40 (60) cm, mostly scabrous or puberulent below the inflorescence. Sheaths closed for less than 1/3 their length, smooth or scabrous, glabrous or finely puberulent, persistent; collars glabrous; ligules 0.1-0.4 mm; blades 0.2-0.4 (0.6) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins 5 (7), ribs 1, distinct; abaxial sclerenchyma forming a continuous or almost continuous band; adaxial sclerenchyma absent. Inflorescences 1-6 (14) cm, usually contracted, with 1-2 branches per node; branches usually erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets. Spikelets 3-6 (6.5) mm, with 2-6 (8) florets. Glumes exceeded by the upper florets, ovatelanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous; lower glumes 1-2.5 mm; upper glumes (1.7) 2-3 (3.9) mm; lemmas 2.3-4 (4.4) mm, obtuse to acute, mostly smooth and glabrous, sometimes scabrous or pubescent distally, unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 0.4 mm; paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region smooth or scabrous distally; anthers (1) 1.5-2.2 mm; ovary apices glabrous. 2n = 14 (28).

Distribution

Wash., D.C., N.H., N.J., N.C., Tenn., N.Y., Pa., Alta., B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., R.I., S.C., W.Va., Va., Vt., Ill., Ind., Conn., Maine, Md., Mass., Ohio, Mich., Mont., Wis., Miss., Oreg.

Discussion

Festuca filiformis is a European species that has been introduced to the Flora region as a turf grass. It grows well on poor, dry soils and is becoming a ruderal weed in some areas. It is particularly common in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, but has been reported from scattered locations elsewhere.

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 filiformis"
pilose +, pubescent +, puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
membranous +  and scarious +
puberulent +  and hirsute +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br />) +
awned +  and entire +
hispidulous +
bidentate +
Stephen J. Darbyshire +  and Leon E. Pavlickf +
Pourr. +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
keeled +  and rounded +
swelling +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (?) +
not deciduous +  and deciduous +
not evident +
flat +, convolute +  and setaceous +
0.02 cm0.2 mm <br />2.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
spikelike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Hair fescue +, Fine-leaved sheep fescue +  and Fetuque chevelue +
not branching +
ascending +  and erect +
puberulent +  and scabrous +
18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
not woody +
Wash. +, D.C. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.C. +, Tenn. +, N.Y. +, Pa. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, W.Va. +, Va. +, Vt. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Conn. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Ohio +, Mich. +, Mont. +, Wis. +, Miss. +  and Oreg. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
2 +  and 6 +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
ovatelanceolate +  and lanceolate +
unequal +  and subequal +
persisting +
uncinate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
1-7(9)-veined +
awned +  and entire +
pubescent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
mucronate +, obtuse +  and acute +
0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
coriaceous +, chartaceous +  and membranous +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 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 +
persistent +
puberulent +, glabrous +, scabrous +  and smooth +
Introduced +
1 +  and 60 +
compressed +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Festuca tenuifolia +  and Festuca capillata +
Festuca filiformis +
Festuca sect. Festuca +
species +
membranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
parallel +  and converging +
obscure +  and prominent +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +