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

Festuca ovina L.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Temp. Eurasia, Alaska to W. U.S.A.

[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

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 Dal’nego 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 Dal’nego 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.

  • 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 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

  • Kew Living Collection Database

    Common Names from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Living Collection https://www.kew.org/

  • 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