The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California

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  • Up-to-date information about California vascular plants is available from the Jepson eFlora.

Names are linked to treatments from the Manual


Key to FESTUCA

N.B.: couplets are linked, e.g., 1. is linked to 1'.

  1. Dioecious; spikelets staminate or pistillate; reduced, sterile pistils sometimes present (subg. Leucopoa) — rhizomes short; lemma awnless
F. kingii
  1' Bisexual; florets generally bisexual (subg. Festuca)
 
    2. Basal lobes of leaf blade prominent, ± clasping stem
 
      3. Basal lobes hairy; lemma awn generally 0.5–1.5 mm
F. arundinacea
      3' Basal lobes glabrous; lemma awn << 0.5 mm or 0
F. pratensis
    2' Basal lobes of leaf blade, if any, not clasping stem
 
      4. Leaf sheath closed, ± reddish, generally with downward-pointing hairs; rhizomes often present
F. rubra
      4' Leaf sheath open at least half its length, generally green, glabrous; rhizomes 0
 
        5. Plant > 3 dm; stems densely clumped with conspicuous dead leaf sheaths at plant base
 
          6. Leaf collar generally hairy; ovary tip hairy
F. californica
          6' Leaf collar and ovary tip glabrous
F. idahoensis
        5' Plants < 3 dm (> 3.5 dm in F. elmeri, F. subulata, F. trachyphylla, F. viridula); if stems densely clumped, dead leaf sheaths not conspicuous
 
          7. Leaf blade flat or loosely rolled, > 2 mm wide
 
            8. Lemma base long, with a tuft of hairs
F. subuliflora
            8' Lemma base very short, glabrous
 
              9. Lemma prominently scabrous; awn subterminal from between 2 short teeth
F. elmeri
              9' Lemma sparsely scabrous; awn terminal
F. subulata
          7' Leaf blade folded (except F. viridula), < 2 mm wide
 
            10. Lemma awns 3–12 mm
F. occidentalis
            10' Lemma awns 0.5–2.5 mm
 
              11. Spikelets 9–12 mm
F. viridula
              11' Spikelets 2.5–9 mm (F. ovina complex; separations may prove difficult)
 
                12. Anthers ± 1.5–3 mm
 
                  13. Inflorescence 1–5 cm; anthers < 2 mm; high montane, native
F. saximontana var. purpusiana
                  13' Inflorescence 3–13 cm; anthers 2–3 mm; disturbed places, naturalized
F. trachyphylla
                12' Anthers ± 1–1.5 mm
 
                  14. Inflorescence generally unbranched; ovary glabrous
F. brachyphylla subsp. coloradensis
                  14' Inflorescence short-branched at lowest node; ovary with a few stiff hairs
F. minutiflora


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