Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons.
tall fescue
Poaceae (Grass family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Photograph

© Percy Folkard     (Photo ID #32575)


Map

E-Flora BC Static Map

Distribution of Schedonorus arundinaceus
Click here to view the full interactive map and legend

Species Information

General:
Perennial, tufted grass, sometimes from short rhizomes, otherwise from fibrous roots; stems erect, 90-150 (200) cm tall.
Leaves:
Sheaths smooth; blades in-rolled in young shoots, 4-12 mm wide; ear-shaped lobes at the leaf-bases sickle-shaped, slightly wavy or obscure, sparsely fringed with fine hairs on the margins; ligules 0.5-1.5 mm long, membranous.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open or stiffly erect, simple panicle, 10-35 cm long; spikelets 3- to 6- (9-) flowered, stalked, 8-15.5 mm long, each with 2 glumes; lower glumes 3-6 mm long, upper glumes 4.5-7 (9) mm long; lemmas (4) 5-9 (11.5) mm long, rough short-hairy or short bristlelike at least near the tips (rarely smooth), sometimes unawned, or if awned, the awns 0.3-2 (4) mm long, terminal or attached up to 0.4 mm below the tips; anthers 2.5-4 mm long.
Notes:
An important crop grown for seed production (primarily in the Peace River District), forage, soil stabilization, and coarse turf, it is increasingly planted in various habitats and becoming broadly adventive.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Illustration

If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Schedonorus arundinaceus

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Avg

Min

Max

Elevation (metres)
5 5 5
Slope Gradient (%)
1 0 2

Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]

0
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
4 4 5
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
E
# of field plots
 species was recorded in:
3
Modal BEC Zone Class
CWH

All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in

CWH(2)

Habitat and Range

Dry to wet seepages, pastures, fields, meadows, roadsides and disturbed areas in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in SW BC, rare eastward in S BC; introduced from Eurasia.

SourceThe Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Synonyms

Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Festuca arundinacea Schreb.
Festuca elatior
Festuca elatior subsp. arundinacea (Schreb.) Hack.
Festuca elatior var. arundinacea (Schreb.) Wimm.
Festuca fenas Lag.
Festuca uechtritziana Wiesb.
Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire