Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) Kraj.
hard fescue
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
hard fescue
Poaceae (Grass family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial, densely tufted grass from fibrous roots; stems (20) 30-50 (75) cm tall, with visible nodes.
Leaves:
Sheaths conspicuous at the base of the stems, persisting for more than 1 year but not always conspicuous, remaining entire, not shredding into fibres; blades 8-30 cm long, 0.4-0.6 mm wide, hard to the touch, folded; ligules 0.1-0.3 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a narrow panicle, 3-10 (13) cm long, the branches 1.2-3.5 cm long; spikelets 4- to 7- (8-) flowered, 5.5-9 (10) mm long; lower glumes 2-4 mm long, the upper ones 3-5.5 mm long; lemmas (3.8) 4-5 (5.5) mm long, awned, the awns 0.5-2.5 mm long, about 1/2 as long as the lemmas; anthers 2-3 (3.4) mm long; ovary tops smooth.
Notes:
Several cultivars of this species are grown in Holland and distributed widely.
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 trachyphylla
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) |
1094 | 213 | 2061 |
| Slope
Gradient (%) |
0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Aspect (degrees) |
0 | ||
| Soil
Moisture Regime (SMR) [0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic; 8 - hydric] |
2 | 1 | 4 |
| Modal
Nutrient Regime
Class |
C | ||
| #
of field plots species was recorded in: |
3 | ||
| Modal
BEC Zone Class |
CWH | ||
|
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in |
CWH(1), ESSF(1), IDF(1) | ||
|
Source:
Klinkenberg 2013
|
|||
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry disturbed areas; rare in S BC; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Festuca brevipila Tracey
Festuca duriuscula
Festuca ovina var. duriuscula