Species: Festuca idahoensis ssp. idahoensis Elmer

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Festuca idahoensis ssp. idahoensis Elmer

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Festuca

Species Synonyms:

Festuca idahoensis var. oregona (Hack. ex Beal) C.L. Hitchc.
Festuca ingrata (Hack. ex Beal) Rydb.
Festuca occidentalis var. ingrata (Hack. ex Beal) Boivin
Festuca occidentalis var. oregona (Hack.) Boivin
Festuca ovina var. columbiana Beal
Festuca ovina var. ingrata Hack. ex Beal
Festuca ovina var. oregona Hack. ex Beal

Common Names:

Idaho fescue
bluebunch fescue

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia – southern Alberta – southwestern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southwestern Saskatchewan; Cypress Hills

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

grassland or open wooded slopes

Canada:

dry, rocky, wooded slopes

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Vulnerable

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Idaho fescue is vulnerable because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted in the province but is usually locally numerous within a small area. No immediate threats are known but may occur in the future.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

25 – 85 cm

Roots:

fibrous; rhizomes lacking

Stem:

densely tufted, hairless, occasionally rough-hairy below the inflorescence

Leaves:

blades numerous, 0.5 – 1 mm diameter, thread-like, often bluish, veins 5, hairless or rough-hairy; sheaths closed for less than half their length, flattened, boat-shaped, hairless or rough-hairy; ligules 0.2 – 0.6 mm long, membranous

Inflorescence:

branched, 7 – 20 cm long, loosely contracted or open, 1 – 2 branches per node, branches spreading or ascending

Spikelets:

7.5 – 13.5 mm long, 4 – 7-flowered

Florets:

glumes shorter than upper florets, oval to lance-shaped, narrow, usually hairless; lower glumes 2.5 – 5 mm long, upper glumes 3 – 6 mm long; lemmas 5 – 9 mm long, nearly round in cross section, tip rough-hairy, awned; lemma awn 2 – 6 mm long; palea shorter than to equal to lemmas

Fruits:

hairless


FESTUCA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Lemmas awnless or with a short awn less than 1.5 mm long; plants taller than 40 cm	2
1 Lemmas awn usually at least 2 mm long; plants usually shorter than 40 cm (except F. idahoensis ssp. idahoensis)	3

2 Large shrub; leaflets lobed, less than 3 cm long; fruits red and hairy	F. altaica
2 Plants less strongly tufted, somewhat rhizomatous; stems 20 – 60 cm tall; spikelets 7 – 8 mm long	F. hallii

3 Plants rhizomatous; lower sheaths shredding, becoming fibrous	4
3 Plants tufted; lower sheaths dry and membranous, persistent	5

4 Lemmas 6 – 7.5 mm long, tip rough-hairy	F. rubra ssp. rubra
4 Lemmas 4.5 – 6 mm long, densely long-hairy or otherwise hairy at least in part	F. richardsonii

5 Plants less than 20 cm tall; inflorescence about 3 cm long, dense, purplish	F. brachyphylla ssp. brachyphylla
5 Plants greater than 30 cm tall; inflorescence equal to or greater than 5 cm long, may be interrupted, yellowish, if purplish, plants taller than 50 cm	6

6 Plants 30 – 40 cm tall; inflorescence around 5 cm long, yellowish; spikelets 5 – 7-flowered	F. saximontana ssp. saximontana
6 Plants up to 100 cm tall; inflorescence 10 – 20 cm long, purplish or dark green; spikelets 2 – 4-flowered	F. idahoensis ssp. idahoensis