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Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| THE GRASS FAMILY | |||||||||
| The grass family is economically
and ecologically important. Many of the world’s crops are products
of the grasses. In addition, grasses are represented in almost all terrestrial
ecosystems and are an important part of the natural food chain. The grasses have a set of structures unique to the family. These plants can be annual or perennial and are usually herbaceous. The roots are fibrous, but rhizomes or runners may be found in some species. The stems are solitary or tufted, and may be branched. The stems are round with hollow internodes and solid nodes. The leaves are basal or on the stem. The stem leaves are 2-ranked, meaning they are in two vertical rows and are sheathing at the base. A ligule is present where the leaf sheath and the blade meet. The florets are in spikelets which are then arranged into clusters called spikes, racemes, or panicles. The spikelets usually have two glumes at the base and may be one to several-flowered. Sometimes there are sterile florets, which may consist only of the palea and lemma, present above or below the fertile florets. The florets are usually perfect, meaning that they have both male and female parts. The lemma and palea are the two bracts that subtend each floret. The lemma may be awnless or awned from the tip or the back. Each fertile floret has between one and three stamens and one superior ovary with a feathery stigma. The fruit type is a caryopsis or grain and is unique to the grass family. |
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| IDAHO FESCUE | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Festuca idahoensis ssp. idahoensis | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Idaho fescue grows as tall as 85 cm from fibrous roots. The stems are densely tufted and are usually smooth except for the rough-hairy patches below the inflorescence. The leaves are thread-like in appearance and often bluish in colour. The inflorescence is loosely contracted or open. The branches are pointing upwards or outwards. The spikelets contain four to seven flowers. This species has a small awn on the lemma. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Idaho fescue grows in grasslands or open wooded slopes. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This plant is found in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Cypress Upland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY IDAHO FESCUE | |||||||||
| * Are the leaves bluish and thread-like? * Are the stems smooth except for the rough-hairy patches below the inflorescence? * Are the stems densely tufted? * Did you find it in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found Idaho fescue! | |||||||||
