Festuca campestris Rydb.
rough fescue (rough fesuce)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
rough fescue (rough fesuce)
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial, densely tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems (30) 40-90 cm tall, without visible nodes.
Leaves:
Sheaths conspicuous at the base of the stems, persisting for more than 1 year, remaining entire not shredding into fibres; blades 10-60cm long, flat or folded; ligules 0.1-0.5 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence an open panicle, 5-18 cm long, the branches 2.5-7 (13) cm long, the lower ones rigid, 2-7 cm long, erect or ascending, not borne on one side of the axis; spikelets usually pale green below and somewhat puplish abouve, (3- ) 4 to 5- (7-) flowered, 8-12 (16) mm long; lower glumes 4.5-7,5 (8.5) mm long, the upper ones 5.3-8.2 (9) mm long; lemmas (6.2) 7-8.5 (10) mm long, the margins not conspicuously translucent, long-pointed, awned, the awns 0.5-1.5 mm long; anthers (3.30 4.5-6 mm long; ovary tops hairy.
Notes:
The branches of the inflorescence tend to be stiffer in F. campestris than in F. altaica.
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
USDA Species Characteristics
Flower Colour:
Yellow
Blooming Period:
Mid Summer
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Summer to Fall
According to the USDA, this species is a known allelopath.
Source: The USDA
Ecology
Ecological Framework for Festuca campestris
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) |
955 | 275 | 2854 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
26 | 0 | 360 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
196 | 0 | 360 |
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 0 | 7 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
828 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
IDF | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
BG(122), ESSF(63), ICH(2), IDF(376), IMA(8), MS(19), PP(207) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry grasslands, meadows and forest openings in the steppe to subapine zones; common in SC and SE BNC; E to SW AB and S to CO, ID and OR.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Festuca altaica var. major (Vasey) Gleason
Festuca scabrella var. major Vasey