Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca elmeri Scribn. & Merr.

First published in Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 29: 468 (1902)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Oregon to Central California. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44392858/44535997

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms 40-100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2-4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface puberulous; hairy adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate; 10-20 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; 5-10 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets cuneate; laterally compressed; 8-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acuminate. Upper glume lanceolate; 3-4 mm long; 0.5-0.66 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6 mm long; membranous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins prominent. Lemma surface hispidulous. Lemma apex dentate; 2 -fid; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn from a sinus; 2-8 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum linear.
Distribution
North America: northwest USA and southwest .
Reference
Poeae. Man US Gr 1994.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0