Festuca minutiflora Rydb.
little fescue (smallflower fescue)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
little fescue (smallflower fescue)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Species Information
General:
Perennial, densely tufted grass from fibrous roots, the tufts small; stems 4-30 (40) cm tall, with visible nodes in taller plants.
Leaves:
Sheaths not conspicuous at the base of the stems, remaining entire, not shredding into fibres; blades 1-7 (10) cm long, 0.2-0.45 mm wide, folded; ligules 0.1-0.3 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a tiny, narrow panicle, 1-4 (5) cm long, the branches 0.15-1.5 cm long; spikelets 2- to 5-flowered, 2.5-5 mm long; lower glumes 1.3-2.5 mm long, the upper ones 2-3.4 mm long; lemmas 2-3.4 mm long, awned, the awns 0.5-1.5 (1.7) mm long; anthers (0.4) 0.7-1.1 mm long; ovary tops sparsely hairy.
Notes:
First recognized from BC in the 1980's. It is known from at least 6 sites and is possibly more common. In the past it has been mistaken for F. brachyphylla.
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.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Festuca minutiflora
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)
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) |
1679 | 1535 | 1815 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
11 | 3 | 35 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
290 | 20 | 290 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
1 | 0 | 2 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
B | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
5 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
ESSF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BAFA(2), ESSF(3) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Dry stony slopes in the alpine zone; rare in SE BC and the Coast Mountains; N to YT and S to NM, AZ and CA.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Festuca brachyphylla var. endotera (St.-Yves) Litard.
Festuca ovina var. minutiflora (Rydb.) J.T. Howell