Festuca paradoxa

Desv.
Common names: Cluster fescue
Endemic
Synonyms: Festuca shortii
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 402.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants loosely cespitose, with¬out rhizomes. Culms 50-120 cm, glabrous. Sheaths closed for less than 1/3 their length, glab¬rous, shredding into fibers; Iigules (0.2) 0.5-1.5 mm; blades 2-8 mm wide, flat or loosely convolute, smooth or scabrous, veins 9-35, ribs obscure; abaxial sclerenchyma in narrow strands; adaxial sclerenchyma developed; girders or pillars usually associated with the major veins. Inflorescences (5) 10-20 cm, open, with 1-2 branches per node; branches lax, ascending to spreading, spikelets clustered towards the ends of the branches, closely imbricate. Spikelets 4-7 (7.5) mm, elliptic to obovate, with 3-5 (8) florets. Glumes lanceolate to ovatelanceolate, scabrous at least on the veins; lower glumes (2.5) 3-4 (5) mm, usually almost as long as the adjacent lemmas; upper glumes (3.5) 4-5 (5.5) mm; lemmas 4-5 (5.2) mm, stiffly chartaceous, ovate to obovate, glabrous, somewhat acute, unawned; paleas as long as or slightly shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region smooth or scabrous distally; anthers (0.7) 1-2 (2.5) mm; ovary apices pubescent. 2n = unknown.

Distribution

Kans., Nebr., Okla., Minn., Md., Miss., Tex., La., Pa., Mo., Del., Ala., Wis., Ont., Que., N.C., S.C., Va., Ark., Ill., Ga., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Tenn.

Discussion

Festuca paradoxa grows in prairies, open woods, thickets, and low open ground, from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania, south to northeastern Texas and northern Georgia. It resembles F. subverticillata (see previous), but its spikelets are more crowded on the branches.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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

... more about "Festuca paradoxa"
pilose +, pubescent +, puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
membranous +  and scarious +
puberulent +  and hirsute +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (?) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
hispidulous +
mucronate +, awned +, bidentate +, acute +  and attenuate +
Stephen J. Darbyshire +  and Leon E. Pavlickf +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
keeled +  and rounded +
swelling +
not deciduous +  and deciduous +
not evident +
convolute +  and flat +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
ascending;spreading +
spikelike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
Cluster fescue +
not branching +
ascending +  and erect +
50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br /> (120 cm1,200 mm <br />1.2 m <br />) +
not woody +
Kans. +, Nebr. +, Okla. +, Minn. +, Md. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, Pa. +, Mo. +, Del. +, Ala. +, Wis. +, Ont. +, Que. +, N.C. +, S.C. +, Va. +, Ark. +, Ill. +, Ga. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Ky. +  and Tenn. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
3 +  and 5 +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
lanceolate +  and ovatelanceolate +
unequal +  and subequal +
persisting +
uncinate +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
puberulent +, scabrous +  and glabrous +
1-7(9)-veined +
acute +, ovate +  and obovate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 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 +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
1 +  and 60 +
elliptic +  and obovate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Festuca shortii +
Festuca paradoxa +
species +
membranous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
parallel +  and converging +
obscure +  and prominent +
9 (?) +  and 35 (?) +
stoloniferous +  and rhizomatous +
plant +  and cespitose +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +