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

Festuca idahoensis ssp. idahoensis 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 caespitose, glabrous, occasionally scabrous below the inflorescence

Leaves:

blades numerous, 0.5 – 1 mm diameter, filiform, often glaucous, veins 5, glabrous or scabrous; sheaths closed for less than half their length, flattened, keeled, glabrous or scabrous; ligules 0.2 – 0.6 mm long, membranous

Inflorescence:

panicle 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, ovate to lanceolate, narrow, usually glabrous; lower glumes 2.5 – 5 mm long, upper glumes 3 – 6 mm long; lemmas 5 – 9 mm long, nearly terete, apex scabrous, awned; lemma awn 2 – 6 mm long; palea shorter than to equal to lemmas

Fruits:

caryopsis glabrous


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 Plants strongly tufted; stems often over 60 cm tall; spikelets over 10 mm long	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 friable, becoming fibrillose	4
3 Plants tufted; lower sheaths chartaceous, persistent	5

4 Lemmas 6 – 7.5 mm long, apex scabrous	F. rubra ssp. rubra
4 Lemmas 4.5 – 6 mm long, densely pilose or otherwise pubescent, at least in part	F. richardsonii

5 Plants usually less than 20 cm tall; panicle about 3 cm long, dense, purplish	F. brachyphylla ssp. brachyphylla
5 Plants greater than 30 cm tall; panicle greater than 5 cm long, may be interrupted, yellowish, if purplish, plants over 50 cm tall	6

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