- Family:
- Poaceae Barnhart
- Genus:
- Festuca Tourn. ex L.
Festuca ovina L.

[GB]
- Morphology General Habit
- Perennial; caespitose. Basal innovations intravaginal. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 5-60 cm long; 1-2 -noded. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths open for most of their length; without keel; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.2 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; conduplicate; 3-25 cm long; 0.3-0.6 mm wide. Leaf-blade venation comprising 5-7 vascular bundles. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex obtuse.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
- Inflorescence a panicle. Peduncle smooth, or scaberulous above. Panicle open; lanceolate, or oblong; dense, or loose; 3-12 cm long. Primary panicle branches appressed, or ascending, or spreading. Panicle branches angular; scabrous. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels 1-3 mm long.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
- Spikelets comprising 3-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
- Fertile
- Spikelets comprising 3-9 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; laterally compressed; 5-10 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
- Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume lanceolate; 2-3 mm long; 0.6-0.8 length of upper glume; chartaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 3-4 mm long; 0.7-0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume apex acute.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
- Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5-5 mm long; chartaceous; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface scaberulous; rough above. Lemma apex acute; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 0.5-1.5 mm long overall. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scaberulous; adorned above. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Anthers 3; 2-2.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous.
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; glabrous. Hilum linear; 1 length of caryopsis.
- Distribution
- Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north and Macaronesia. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India. Australasia: New Zealand. North America: Subarctic, western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana and western South America.
- Reference
- Poeae. CEH.
Native to:
Afghanistan, Alaska, Alberta, Altay, Amur, Arizona, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, British Columbia, Buryatiya, Central European Rus, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, Colorado, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East European Russia, Finland, France, Føroyar, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Khabarovsk, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., Lebanon-Syria, Magadan, Manchuria, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nevada, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Northwest Territorie, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Primorye, Qinghai, Romania, Sakhalin, South European Russi, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tibet, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Ukraine, Utah, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutskiya, Yugoslavia, Yukon
Extinct in:
Netherlands
Introduced into:
California, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Delaware, Iceland, Illinois, Kentucky, Kerguelen, Madeira, Maine, Massachusetts, Mexico Northwest, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode I., South Carolina, South Georgia, Vermont, Washington
Recorded in error in:
Belgium
- Avena ovina Salisb.
- Bromus ovinus (L.) Scop.
- Festuca agrestis Wulfen ex Steud.
- Festuca baumgarteniana Schur
- Festuca capillaris Wulfen
- Festuca centroapenninica (Markgr.-Dann.) Foggi, F.Conti & Pignatti
- Festuca chiisanensis (Ohwi) E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca cinerea var. scabrifolia (Hack.) M.Toman
- Festuca diffusa V.N.Vassil.
- Festuca eskia Lej.
- Festuca filifolia Link
- Festuca fontqueriana (St.-Yves) Romo
- Festuca glauca var. scabrifolia Hack.
- Festuca glaucantha Blocki
- Festuca glaucoidea (J.Vetter) E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca guestphalica Boenn. ex Rchb.
- Festuca guinochetii (Bidault) S.Arndt
- Festuca hallerioides Schur
- Festuca heterophylla Wahlenb.
- Festuca jumpeiana (Ohwi) Kitag.
- Festuca lasiantha Schur
- Festuca leucantha Schur
- Festuca livida Schur
- Festuca malzevii (Litv.) Reverd.
- Festuca mariettana E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca maskerensis (Litard.) Romo
- Festuca multiflora Suter
- Festuca nigra Gilib.
- Festuca oligosantha Schur
- Festuca ovina f. aculeolata Soó
- Festuca ovina subvar. angustiflora Hack.
- Festuca ovina var. baicalensis Vylzan
- Festuca ovina var. centroapenninica Markgr.-Dann.
- Festuca ovina subsp. coreana (St.-Yves) E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca ovina subsp. elata (Drobow) Tzvelev
- Festuca ovina subsp. firmulacea (Markgr.-Dann.) Prob.
- Festuca ovina var. guinochetii Bidault
- Festuca ovina var. hibernica (Markgr.-Dann.) M.J.Wilk.
- Festuca ovina var. hirta G.Mey.
- Festuca ovina subvar. laevifolia Hack.
- Festuca ovina var. litoralis Tzvelev
- Festuca ovina subsp. litoralis E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca ovina subsp. maroccana (St.-Yves) Dobignard
- Festuca ovina var. maroccana St.-Yves
- Festuca ovina subsp. nipponica (Ohwi) E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca ovina f. nitida Beldie
- Festuca ovina subvar. pubescens Hack.
- Festuca ovina var. purpusiana St.-Yves
- Festuca ovina subsp. ruprechtii (Boiss.) Tzvelev
- Festuca ovina subsp. sphagnicola (B.Keller) Tzvelev
- Festuca ovina f. submucronata Soó
- Festuca ovina subsp. sytschuanica E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca ovina f. viridis Pamp.
- Festuca ovina subsp. vylzaniae Vylzan ex E.B.Alexeev
- Festuca pallens subsp. scabrifolia (Hack.) Zielonk.
- Festuca pauciflora Schleich.
- Festuca pietrosii Zapal.
- Festuca pratensis Honck.
- Festuca pumila Willk.
- Festuca purpusiana (St.-Yves) Tzvelev
- Festuca rupicola var. sulcatiformis (Markgr.-Dann.) Markgr.-Dann. ex Stohr
- Festuca ruprechtii (Boiss.) V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
- Festuca sauvagei Romo
- Festuca saximontana subsp. purpusiana (St.-Yves) Tzvelev
- Festuca scabrifolia (Hack.) Patzke & G.H.Loos
- Festuca sciaphila Schur
- Festuca serpentinica (Krajina) M.Toman
- Festuca sphagnicola B.Keller
- Festuca sulcatiformis (Markgr.-Dann.) Patzke & G.H.Loos
- Festuca trachyphylla var. pubescens (Hack.) Tzvelev
- Festuca verguinii Sennen
- Festuca vorobievii Prob.
- Festuca vulgaris (Wallr.) Hayek
- Festuca vylzaniae (Vylzan ex E.B.Alexeev) Tzvelev
- Festuca weilleri (Litard.) Romo
- Festuca yarochenkoi (St.-Yves) E.B.Alexeev
- Gnomonia ovina (L.) Lunell
- Poa setacea Koeler
- English
- Sheep's Fescue
Festuca ovina L. appears in other Kew resources:
Date | Reference | Identified As | Barcode | Type Status | Has image? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apr 9, 1974 | Anderson, N.J. [297], Northern Europe | K000913103 | Yes | ||
Cosson [s.n.], Morocco | K000345312 | Yes | |||
Fritsch, Baron von [410], Morocco | K000345313 | Yes | |||
Hooker [s.n.], Morocco | K000345314 | Yes | |||
Gautier, G. [19], France | K000913128 | Yes | |||
Markgraf-Dannenberg, I. [s.n.], Ireland | K000913127 | lectotype | Yes | ||
Fellman, N.I. [344], Northern Europe | K000913104 | Yes | |||
Wallroth, C.F.W. [s.n.] | K000913126 | Yes | |||
Fellman, N.I. [343], Northern Europe | K000913102 | Yes | |||
Martins, C.F. [s.n.], Spain | K000913125 | Yes | |||
Fellman, N.I. [345], Northern Europe | K000913105 | Yes | |||
Oct 1, 1976 | Rechinger K.H. [889], Iran | Festuca glaucoidea | K000912880 | Unknown type material | Yes |
Dec 1, 1976 | Taquet [1866], South Korea | Festuca ovina subsp. coreana | K000913237 | Yes | |
Oct 1, 1976 | Wilford, C. [700], South Korea | Festuca ovina subsp. coreana | K000913240 | isotype | Yes |
s.coll. [s.n.] | Festuca ovina subsp. coreana | K000913238 | Yes | ||
Bunge, A.A.von [s.n.] | Festuca ovina subsp. coreana | K000913241 | Yes |
First published in Sp. Pl.: 73 (1753)
Accepted by
- Allred, K.W. (2012). Flora Neomexicana, ed. 2, 1: 1-599. Range Science Herbarium, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
- Bor, N.L. (1970). Flora Iranica 70: 1-573. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien.
- Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
- Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1-543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
- Dimopoulos, P., Raus, T., Bergmeier, E., Constantinidis, T., Iatrou, G., Kokkini, S., Strid, A., & Tzanoudakis, D. (2013). Vascular plants of Greece. An annotated checklist: 1-372. Botanic gardens and botanical museum Berlin-Dahlem, Berlin and Hellenic botanical society, Athens.
- Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
- Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Grubov, V.I. (2008). Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia (with an atlas) 2: 1-503. Academy of Sciences, Mongolian People's Republic, Ulaan Bator.
- Haveman, R. (2015). Het Festuca-ovina complex in Nederland. 3. De smalbladige schapengrassen Gorteria; Mededelingenblad ten Dienste van de Floristiek en het Vegetatie-Onderzoek van Nederland 37: 181-191.
- Iwatsuki, K., Boufford, D.E. & Ohba, H. (eds.) (2020). Flora of Japan IVa: 1-430. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo.
- Jones, R.L. (2005). Plant life of Kentucky. An illustrated guide to the vascular flora: 1-833. The universitry press of Kentucky.
- Kandwal, M.K. & Gupta, B.K. (2009). An update on grass flora of Uttarkhand Indian Journal of Forestry 32: 657-668.
- Karthikeyan, S., Jain, S.K., Nayar, M.P. & Sanjappa, M. (1989). Florae Indicae Enumeratio: Monocotyledonae: 1-435. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
- Kharkevich, S.S., Probatova, N.S. & Novikov, V.S. (1985). Sosudistye rasteniia sovetskogo Dalnego Vostoka 1: 1-383. Izd-vo "Nauka," Leningradskoe otd-nie, Leningrad.
- Koyama, T. (1987). Grasses of Japan and its neighboring regions: an identification manual: 1-570. Kodansha, Tokyo, Japan.
- Kozhevnikov, A.E., Kozhevnikov, Z.V., Kwak, M. & Lee, B.Y. (2019). Illustrated flora of the Primorsky Territory, Russian Far East: 1-1124. National institute of biological resources.
- Lee, W.T. (1996). Lineamenta Florae Koreae: 1-1688. Soul T'ukpyolsi: Ak'ademi Sojok.
- Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Siberia 2: 1-362. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
- Marhold, K. (ed.) (2012). IAPT/IOPB chromosome data 14 Taxon 61: 1336-1345.
- Mirek, Z., Pi?ko?-Mirkowa, H., Zaj?c, A. & Zaj?c, M (2020). Vascular plants of Poland an annotated checklist: 1-526. W. Szafer institute of botany, Polish academy of sciences, Krakow, Poland.
- Press, J.R. et al. (2000). Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal: i-x, 1-430. Natural History Museum, London.
- Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
- Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
Literature
Kew Backbone Distributions
- Bor, N.L. (1968). Flora of Iraq 9: 1-588. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.
- Bor, N.L. (1970). Flora Iranica 70: 1-573. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien.
- Davidse, G. & al. (eds.) (1994). Flora Mesoamericana 6: 1-543. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D.F.
- Dobignard, D. & Chatelain, C. (2010). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 1: 1-455. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
- Fedorov, A.A. (ed.) (1999). Flora of Russia. The European part and bordering regions 1: 1-546. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Broekfield.
- Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
- Frenot, Y., Chown, S.L., Whinam, J., Selkirk, P.M., Convey, P., Skotnicki, M. & Bergstrom,D.M. (2005). Biological invasions in the Antarctic: extent, impacts and implications Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 80: 45-72.
- Garcillán, P.P. & al. (2013). Plantas no nativas naturalizadas de la península de Baja California, México Botanical Sciences 91: 461-475.
- Grubov, V.I. (2008). Key to the vascular plants of Mongolia (with an atlas) 2: 1-503. Academy of Sciences, Mongolian People's Republic, Ulaan Bator.
- Haveman, R. (2015). Het Festuca-ovina complex in Nederland. 3. De smalbladige schapengrassen Gorteria; Mededelingenblad ten Dienste van de Floristiek en het Vegetatie-Onderzoek van Nederland 37: 181-191.
- Jones, R.L. (2005). Plant life of Kentucky. An illustrated guide to the vascular flora: 1-833. The universitry press of Kentucky.
- Kandwal, M.K. & Gupta, B.K. (2009). An update on grass flora of Uttarkhand Indian Journal of Forestry 32: 657-668.
- Kharkevich, S.S., Probatova, N.S. & Novikov, V.S. (1985). Sosudistye rasteniia sovetskogo Dalnego Vostoka 1: 1-383. Izd-vo "Nauka," Leningradskoe otd-nie, Leningrad.
- Lee, W.T. (1996). Lineamenta Florae Koreae: 1-1688. Soul T'ukpyolsi: Ak'ademi Sojok.
- Malyschev, L.I. & Peschkova, G.A. (eds.) (2001). Flora of Siberia 2: 1-362. Scientific Publishers, Inc., Enfield, Plymouth.
- Marhold, K. (ed.) (2012). IAPT/IOPB chromosome data 13 Taxon 61: 889-902.
- Press, J.R. et al. (2000). Annotated Checklist of the Flowering Plants of Nepal: i-x, 1-430. Natural History Museum, London.
- Sheremetova, S.A., Ebel, A.L. & Buko, T.E. (2011). Supplement to the flora of Kemerovo region since 2001 till 2010 Turczaninowia 14(1): 65-74.
- Stepantsova, N.V. (2010). Additions to the "flora of Siberia" in Lena-Katanga floristic area of Irkutsk region Botanicheskii Zhurnal. Moscow & Leningrad 95: 992-1005.
- Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) (2006). Konspekt Flora Kavkaza 2: 1-466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.
- Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1980). Flora Europaea 5: 1-452. Cambridge University Press.
- Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2006). Poaceae Flora of China 22: 1-733. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
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Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
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Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
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Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/
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Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0