Poaceae
Festuca

Festuca sororia Piper

First published in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 198 (1913)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is California to Missouri and New Mexico. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subalpine or subarctic biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Culms 40-100 cm long. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 20-40 cm long; 3-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; elliptic; loose; nodding; 10-15 cm long. Primary panicle branches drooping; 1-2 -nate. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7-12 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 3-5 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; 7-12 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; 3 mm long; 0.6 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 5 mm long; 0.5-0.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma lanceolate; 6-9 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins distinct. Lemma surface smooth, or scaberulous. Lemma apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0-2 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, southwest USA, and south-central USA.
Reference
Poeae. Gr SW US 1994.
[GB]

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]

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

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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 2026. 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