IDENTIFICATION OF FESCUES AND ALLIES (POACEAE) IN THE PACIFIC STATES AND BRITISH COLUMBIA

From:  Barbara L. Wilson, Carex Working Group, 2710 Emerald Street, Eugene, Oregon 97403

             e-mail: bwilson@peak.org

The purpose of this key is to facilitate identification of fescues and allies, including thirty-two taxa of Festuca, one species of Leucopoa, four species of Lolium, two species of Schedonorus, and four species of Vulpia, occurring in California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, British Columbia, and southeast Alaska. 

Taxonomic problems

The taxonomy of fescues and allies has been reorganized repeatedly in recent decades.  Some widely used names that are not recognized in this article are listed with their synonyms.  Sometimes all the species included here except the ryegrasses, Lolium, have been treated as species of Festuca.  Tall and Meadow fescues are more closely related to Lolium species than to the other fescues.  Therefore, they could reasonably be classified in Lolium.  However, placing species with panicle inflorescences in a genus characterized by spike inflorescences caused sufficient controversy that Tall and Meadow Fescues have been placed in a separate genus, Schedonorus. 

The fine-leaved fescues (with narrow leaves folded lengthwise) include several distinctive species and two broad complexes of difficult-to-identify taxa, the Sheep Fescues and the Red Fescues.

At one time, Sheep Fescue, Festuca ovina, was defined so widely that it included what are now considered hundreds of species.  As currently defined, it is not a native plant in North America.  Alpine fescues formerly in this complex are now treated as species (F. brachyphylla, F. minutiflora, and F. saximontana).  Cultivated “Covar” Sheep Fescue was developed from Turkish species, probably F. valesiaca.  Most Sheep and Hard Fescues belong to a single species with a controversial scientific name.  Here it is treated as “ F. trachyphylla“ but reasonable arguments can be presented for considering it to be F. brevipila R. Tracey or even as F. longifolia Thuill.  

The process of breaking the Red Fescue complex, Festuca rubra, into taxa has not been as successful.  Some species are now recognized in the complex, but most of the taxa are treated as difficult-to-identify subspecies. 

Varieties of Vulpia microstachys and V. myuros are not recognized here because they seem to differ by single genes controlling pubescence of glumes and lemmas. 

Leaf Cross Sections

Leaf cross sections are cut from the middle third of fresh or dried leaves.  The leaf is placed on a microscope slide, its broken end in a drop of water.  The broken end is trimmed off and thin sections are sliced by hand using a razor blade.  Unstained sections are observed with a compound microscope at low power or under a dissecting microscope with bottom illumination.  With experience, the critical leaf anatomical traits can usually be observed under the dissecting microscope at high power, but the higher magnification of a compound microscope is preferred. 

Observing leaf anatomy in the field is sometimes possible, if the plant grew in a stressful habitat where a large amount of white sclerenchyma tissue was deposited.  The leaf is cut with scissors and observed with a 16X hand lens.

Conventions Used In The Keys

Material in brackets [ ] is auxiliary material that is consistent in one lead, but variable among taxa under the alternative lead.  This material may be useful for confirming the identification of the taxon involved.  The information is presented in this format because this article does not include species descriptions.

Leaf surface terminology:  Those of us who are even mildly dyslectic cannot consistently distinguish the terms abaxial and adaxial.  Therefore, I do not use these technical terms alone.  Depending on whether the leaf is flat or involute, the abaxial surface (= dorsal surface) of a leaf is its lower or outer surface.  The adaxial surface (=ventral surface) is its upper or inner surface.

Lemma length is the length of the lemma body excluding awn.  The lowest or second lowest lemma in the spikelet is measured.

Leaf width:  Whether the user chooses to measure the leaf width from the flattened or normally folded leaf, the key should accommodate the choice, because species that could easily be misinterpreted come out in two or more places in the key.  However, even this forgiving key cannot accommodate misinterpretation of leaves wider than 3 mm that rolled up tightly and are interpreted as less than 2 mm wide. 

Spikelet length is the distance from the base of the lower glume to the tip of the fourth fertile floret (excluding awns).  If fewer than four fertile florets are present, extrapolate using the distance between the second and third fertile florets.

Veins are vascular bundles.  

* = introduced

Key to Fescues and Allies in Pacific Coast States and Provinces

1.  Inflorescence a single terminal spike; spikelets oriented edgewise to the rachis; spikelets (except terminal one) with only one glume ..................................................................................................................  Lolium

2.  Plants annual AND glume 3/4 as long as to longer than the mature spikelet (at least on the upper spikelets)

3.  Mature caryopsis only 2-3 times longer than wide; longest glumes about 1.5 times as long as lemmas; mature spikelets attached to the rachis at an angle; inflorescence not appearing cylindrical

    ..................................................................... L. temulentum L. subsp. temulentum* [Darnel]

3.  Mature caryopsis more than 3 times as long as wide; longest glumes about equaling lemmas; mature spikelets often so deeply sunken in the rachis that the inflorescence appears cylindrical

....  ....................................................................  L. rigidum Gaudin* [Mediterranean Ryegrass]

2. Plants perennial or annual, if annual then with glume up to half as long as the mature spikelet.  (Hybrids between the next two species occur; many individuals cannot be identified with confidence.)

4.  Plant perennial, with tillers at flowering and fruiting time; florets 2-10 per spikelet; leaves in folded in bud; lemmas awnless (or with awns to about 8 mm long)

........................................................................................... L. perenne L.* [Perennial Ryegrass]

4.  Plant annual or biennial, usually lacking tillers at flowering and fruiting; florets 10-22 per spikelet; leaves rolled in bud (i.e., edges of immature leaves much overlapping); lemmas awned with awns to 15 mm long (or rarely awnless) .....................................................  L. multiflorum Lam.* [Annual Ryegrass]

1.  Inflorescence a panicle or raceme; spikelets oriented variously, each with two glumes

5.  Most or all spikelets producing bulbs rather than seeds; anthers and ovaries usually absent or abortive; plants perennial ....................................................................................................................  Festuca

6.  Plants rhizomatous; ligules 0.5-1 mm long; range Queen Charlotte Island, BC

............................................  F. pseudovivipara (Pavlick) Pavlick [Pseudoviviparous Fescue]

6.  Plants cespitose; ligules 0.1-0.5 mm long; range widespread from BC northward 

...................  F. viviparoidea Krajina ex Pavlick subsp. krajinae Pavlick [Viviparous Fescue]

5.  All spikelets producing seeds; anthers and ovaries present and well developed; plants perennial or annual

7.  Plants annual (no remnants of last year’s leaves present; plant easily pulled from the ground with roots attached, all or nearly all shoots fertile) ..................................................................  Vulpia

8.  First glume less than half as long as the second glume, 0.6-2.5 mm long 

...........................................  V. myuros (L.) K. C. Gmel.* [Foxtail Fescue, Rattail Fescue]

8.  First glume always half or more the length of the second glume, usually less than 3 mm long

9.  Florets usually (5)7-12 per spikelet, spikelets closely overlapping; awns less than 4 mm, shorter than or equaling lemmas ........................  V. octoflora (Walt.) Rydb. [Sixweeks Fescue]

10.  Spikelets usually 4-6.5 mm long; awn of lowermost lemma in each spikelet 0.3-3 mm long ..........................................................  V. octoflora. var. glauca (Nutt.) Fernald

10.  Spikelets usually 5.5-13 mm long; awn of the lowermost lemma in each spikelet 2.5-9 mm long

11.  Lemmas scabrous to pubescent  V. octoflora var. hirtella (Piper) Henrard

11.  Lemmas glabrous (sometimes minutely scabrous distally and on margins)

..............................................................................  V. octoflora var. octoflora

9.  Florets usually 1-5(-7); spikelets loosely overlapping; awns usually 4 mm long or longer, equaling or longer than the lemma

12.  Branches of mature inflorescence (at or after anthesis) typically spreading or reflexed, with pulvini (swellings) at the base

...............................  V. microstachys (Nutt.) Munro ex Benth. [Small Fescue]

12.  Branches of mature inflorescence ascending, lacking pulvini

.......................  V. bromoides (L.) S. F. Gray* [Rattail Fescue, Brome Fescue]

7.  Plants perennial (remnants of last year’s leaves present; plant difficult to pull from the ground with roots; sterile shoots usually common)

13.  Leaves more than 2 mm wide, flat or loosely rolled ...................................  Group 1

13.  Leaves less than 2 mm wide, folded or conduplicate ..................................  Group 2

GROUP  1 -  Leaves more than 2 mm wide, flat or loosely rolled

1.  Leaves with laterally expanded or claw-like or clasping auricles; [lemma awns <4 mm long, much shorter than the lemmas]

2.  Lower glumes mostly less than 3/4 as long as upper glumes; anthers usually indehiscent; spikelets often oriented edgewise to the rachis; inflorescence often a raceme or a panicle of spikes or racemes  Schedonorus X Lolium (Schedolium) hybrids

2.  Lower glumes mostly more 3/4 as long as upper glumes; anthers usually dehiscent; spikelets not oriented edgewise to the rachis; inflorescence always a panicle ......................................  Schedonorus

3.  Auricles ciliate-margined (sometimes just a single cilium can be found; cilia wear off in old plants); lemma awns usually 0.5-1.5(4) mm long; [leaves 3-12 mm wide; lowest panicle node with 2-3 branches, these with more than 1 (usually more than 4) spikelets; plants usually densely cespitose, but some rhizomatous cultivars have been naturalized]

.................................................................  S. arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort* [Tall Fescue]

3.  Auricles lacking cilia; lemma awns less than 0.5 mm or absent; [leaves 3-5(7) mm wide; lowest panicle node with 1-2 branches, if two then one of these with only 1(3) spikelets; plants loosely cespitose to rhizomatous]  .............................................................  S. pratensis (Huds.) P. Beauv.* [Meadow Fescue]

1.  Leaves without auricles, or auricles represented by inconspicuous swellings or small upright flaps

............................................................................................................................................... Festuca

4.  Plant with long rhizomes

5.  Sheaths of basal leaves shredding, brown with contrasting white veins; leaf sheath margins fused; plants with perfect flowers; habitat moist to mesic; [leaf sheaths often with spreading, retrorse hairs; widespread]  F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

5.  Sheaths of basal leaves not shredding,  pale, with veins about the same color; leaf sheath margins overlapping; plants dioecious; habitat dry; [east of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada]         .............................................................   Leucopoa kingii (S. Watson) W. A. Weber [Spike Fescue]

4.  Plant loosely to densely cespitose, or growth habit unknown

6.  Sheaths of basal leaves pale (white or light brown, sometimes red) with veins about the same color; leaves involute or folded (flat in Leucopoa kingii) 

7.  Collars of leaves typically villous at least on the margins; [lemmas 7.5-11 mm long; leaf sclerenchyma forming girders and also a nearly continuous layer under the epidermis; west of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada]  ............................................  F. californica Vasey [California Fescue]

8.  Culms 30-80(100) cm tall, usually pubescent for at least 5 mm below the nodes; lower sheaths densely retrorsely pubescent; range southern California mountains

................................................................  F. californica. subsp. parishii (Piper) Hitchc.

8.  Culms 60-200 cm tall, glabrous to scabrous but not pubescent or pubescent for less than 5 mm below the nodes; range central California to southwest Washington

9.  Ligules 0.2-1(1.2) mm long, ciliate; widespread  F. californica subsp. californica

9.  Ligules (1)1.5-6 mm long, ciliate or not; range California (Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo Counties) ........  F. californica  subsp. hitchcockiana (E. B. Alexeev) Darbyshire

7.  Collars of leaves glabrous; lemmas 5.5-10 mm long

10.  Lemmas awnless or with a point up to 1.5 mm long; range east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada

11.  Plant dioecious; leaf blades flat (or rolled) and not densely scabrous; leaf sheaths and blades equally deciduous; leaf sclerenchyma forming girders but not continuous under the outer epidermis; plant growing as single shoots or bunches from buried rhizomes which are rarely collected

 ..................................  Leucopoa kingii (S. Watson)  W.A. Weber [Spike Fescue]

11.  Plant with perfect flowers; leaf blades involute and typically densely scabrous; leaf blades deciduous but leaf sheaths persistent from year to year, forming dense tufts; leaf sclerenchyma both forming girders and nearly continuous under the outer (abaxial) epidermis; plant densely cespitose

12.  Panicle branches more or less erect, stiff; sclerenchyma on outer surface of leaf blade forming continuous (or somewhat interrupted) bands; range southern BC to southern Oregon

............................................... F. campestris Rydb. [Mountain Rough Fescue]

12.  Panicle branches more or less spreading (loosely erect to spreading, lower branches often reflexed); sclerenchyma on outer surface of leaf blade forming narrow bands about as wide as the associated veins; range southern BC to Alaska and central Asia (disjunct in eastern Canada)

........................................................ F. altaica Trin. [Northern Rough Fescue]

10.  Lemmas awned; range west of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada [leaves < 2 mm wide except in coastal or irrigated individuals]

................................................  F. roemeri (Pavlick) E.B. Alexeev [Roemer’s Fescue]

13.  Hairs on inner (upper) surface few, short; plants growing from Douglas County, Oregon northward, and also along the coast in northern California

.........................................................................................  F. roemeri var. roemeri

13.  Hairs on inner (upper) surface many, longer; plants growing in the Klamath region of southwest Oregon and south at least to the San Francisco area

.............................................................. F. roemeri var. klamathensis B.L. Wilson

6.  Sheaths of basal leaves brown with white veins, shredding; leaves flat and lax (but rolling when wilted), or folded

14.  Callus (lemma base) elongated (ca. 0.5 mm long); upper (adaxial) surface of leaves velvety-pubescent; collar typically villous .............................  F. subuliflora Scribn. [Crinkle-awn Fescue]

14.  Callus (lemma base) not elongated (ca. 0.1 mm long); upper surface of leaves glabrous to scabrous or pubescent but not velvety; collar usually glabrous, if pubescent then like the rest of the leaf sheath

15.  Lemma veins 1(3); lemma awn long, 5-8(20) mm long and often bent; lemma glabrous (or sparsely scabrous mainly in distal third); leaves lax and flat, usually (3) 4-10 mm wide, leaves typically glabrous (or nearly so) on upper surface; widespread

.....  ...................................................................... F. subulata Trin. [Bearded Fescue]

15.  Lemma veins (3)5 (sometimes obscure); lemma awn shorter (1-4, rarely 8, mm long), straight; leaves folded or flat in life but readily folding or rolling when wilted, those of innovations (tillers) usually  3.5 mm wide, those on culms to 5.8 mm wide; leaves pubescent on upper surface

16.  Ovary apex glabrous; lower (outer) surface of leaves glabrous to pubescent but not scabrous, or scabrous uniformly over the surface; leaf sclerenchyma not usually extending around major lateral veins; plants green or glaucous [widespread]  ..................................................................F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

16.  Ovary apex pubescent after anthesis; lower (outer) surface of leaves densely scabrous over the veins; leaf sclerenchyma usually extending through major lateral veins, from abaxial to adaxial surface of leaf; plants green [range either SW Oregon or east of the Cascades in Washington]

17.  Lower glumes (3.4)4-5.6 mm; upper glumes (5.2)5.5-7(7.7) mm; lemma bodies 6.2 6.5-12 mm; habitat sunny shrub steppe in Washington east of the Cascades ............................................  F. washingtonica E.B. Alexeev [Washington Fescue]

17.  Lower glumes 1.7-4.2 mm; upper glumes 2.3-5.8 mm; lemma bodies 4.8-6.8 mm; habitat savanna and forest openings in SW Oregon and NW California

....................................................  F. elmeri Scribn. & Merr. [Elmer’s Fescue]

GROUP  2 - Leaves less than 2 mm wide, folded or conduplicate

1.  Collars typically hairy at least on the margins AND lemma body 7-12 mm long; [plant usually scabrous; ovary apex densely pubescent; leaf sclerenchyma forming sclerenchyma girders and extending in a thin layer under the epidermis] ......................................................................  F. californica Vasey [California Fescue]

2.  Culms 30-80 (-100) cm tall, usually pubescent for at least 5 mm below the nodes; lower sheaths densely retrorsely pubescent; range southern California mountains

...................................................................................  F. californica subsp. parishii (Piper) Hitchc.

2.  Culms 60-200 cm tall, glabrous to scabrous but not pubescent or pubescent for less than 5 mm below the nodes; lower leaf sheaths glabrous to scabrous but not densely retrorsely pubescent; range central California to southwest Washington

3.  Ligules 0.2-1 (-1.2) mm long, ciliate; widespread ...............  F. californica. subsp. californica

3.  Ligules (1) 1.5-6 mm long, ciliate or not; range California (Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo Counties)         ............................................................  F. californica. subsp. hitchcockiana (E.B. Alexeev) Darbyshire

1.  Collar typically glabrous (or IF pubescent, then lemma body less than 7 mm long)

4.  Leaf blades typically scabrous over the entire surface (feel with fingernail); leaf sheaths from previous years persistent and somewhat stiff, forming a dense tuft of split tubes (if you wonder if you are seeing this character, you aren’t); leaves stiff because leaf sclerenchyma forms both sclerenchyma girders and a layer under the epidermis; [lemmas awnless or with tiny awns to 1.5 mm long; dry upland habitats east of Cascades]  

5.  Panicle branches more or less ascending, stiff; sclerenchyma on outer surface of leaf blade forming continuous (or somewhat interrupted) bands; range southern Oregon to southern BC

............................................................................  F. campestris Rydb. [Mountain Rough Fescue]

5.  Panicle branches more or less spreading (loosely erect to spreading, lower branches often reflexed); sclerenchyma on outer surface of leaf blade forming narrow bands about as wide as the associated veins; range southern BC to Alaska and central Asia (disjunct in eastern Canada)

.....................................................................................  F. altaica Trin. [Northern Rough Fescue]

4.  Leaf blades typically glabrous or pubescent (or scabrous over the veins); leaf sheaths from previous years splitting, shredding, or crumbling (sometimes persisting as fibers but not forming tufts of intact sheaths); leaves not stiff 

6.  Leaves very narrow, readily spinning between the fingers because they are round to hexagonal in cross section; lemma bodies 5.8-8.5 (-10) mm long; [leaves typically glaucous; common in open upland habitats of east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada].  (If you are unsure your plant belongs here, or if the plant is arctic or alpine, take the alternate lead where this taxon is identified by more technical features) ...........................  ...........................................................................................................   F. idahoensis Elmer [Idaho Fescue]

6.  Leaves not rolling between the fingers or turning with angles that are readily felt; lemma bodies 4 – 11 mm long; plants of lowlands to the alpine zone

7.  Lemmas tapering very gradually to the awns; lower glume often approximately as long as upper glume; inflorescence narrow and little-branched; anthers indehiscent and more or less empty

....  ..................................................................................  Festuca X Vulpia (Festulpia) hybrids

7.  Lemmas acute (sometimes acuminate in coastal taxa) but tapering less gradually to awns; lower glume more than 3/4 as long as upper glume; inflorescence more branched, and spreading at anthesis; anthers dehiscent and containing pollen

8.  Lower leaves with blades greatly reduced, often to small points [habitat near timberline; ovary apex densely pubescent; awn 0-1.5 mm] ................................................   F. viridula Vasey [Green Fescue]

8.  Lower leaves with blades normally developed

9.  Lemma awnless or with a mucro less than 1/10 the length of the lemma 

10.  Lemma 2.3 - 4.0 (-4.4) mm long; naturally folded leaves 0.3- 0.6 mm wide on longest axis; margins of leaf sheath overlapping; leaf sclerenchyma continuous

..............................................................  F. filiformis Pourret* Fine-leaved Sheep Fescue]

10.  Lemma 4-9 mm long; naturally folded leaves 0.5-1+ mm wide on longest axis; margins of leaf sheath fused; leaf sclerenchyma in bundles

................................................................. F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

9.  Lemma awned

11.  Anthers less 2 mm long; plants to 60 cm tall, often dwarfed and in arctic or alpine habitats [leaves usually less 10 cm long, but up to 25 cm long in  sheltered places; lemma awns 1/2 length of lemma body or shorter; lemma body 2-5(5.6) mm long]

12.  Culms crisp-puberulent, anthers 0.3-0.5 mm long when dry; [range mostly arctic, south to coastal BC and in Rockies to CO] ........................ F. baffinensis Polunin [Baffin Island Fescue]

12.  Culms glabrous to scabrous; anthers 0.4-2 mm long

13.  Anthers (which are usually retained long past anthesis) 0.4-0.8(0.9) mm long when dry, 0.9-1.2 mm long when fresh or  rehydrated; leaf sclerenchyma bundles (except at midrib) less than 2 times as broad as thick; [lemmas 2-5.5 mm long]

14.  Lemmas 2-3.4(4) mm long; branches at lowest node (1)2-3; ovary apex with a few hairs; habitat alpine  .........................................................  F. minutiflora Rydb. [Little Fescue]

14.  Lemmas (3)3.7-5.5 mm long; branches at lowest node 1; ovary apex glabrous ; habitat arctic and montane to alpine

.... .....................................  F. brachyphylla Schultes & Schultes f. [Alpine Fescue]

15.  Culms usually more than twice as along as the basal leaves; spikelets (4.5-) 5-7 mm long; well-developed lemmas 3.5-4.5 mm long; 2n = 42; range BC to N WA

....   ............................................................. F. brachyphylla subsp. brachyphylla

15.  Culms up to twice as long as the basal leaves; spikelets 3.5-5.5 m long; lemmas 2.5-4 mm long (habitat alpine; CA; plants of Steens Mt., OR, are transitional to F. brachyphylla var. coloradensis Fred. of the Rocky Mountains) .......................................................................

     ..........................................................................  F. brachyphylla. subsp. breviculmis Fred.

13.  Anthers (which may or may not be retained) 0.9-1.2 mm long when dry, 1.2-1.8 mm long when fresh or  rehydrated; leaf sclerenchyma continuous or in bundles more than 2 times as broad as thick; [lemmas 3.6-5.6 mm long, often purple; habitat montane to alpine]

     ....................................................................   F. saximontana Rydb. [Rocky Mountain Fescue]

16.  Culms 25-50+ cm tall, usually 3-5 times as long as the leaves of the vegetative shoots; outer surface of blades usually scabrous; sclerenchyma under epidermis on outer side of leaves forming 3-5 strands, sometimes continuous; habitat montane (to low elevation in the north); widespread .......................................................................  F. saximontana var. saximontana

16.  Culms (5)8-37 cm tall, usually 2-3 times as long as the leaves of the vegetative shoots; outer surface of blades smooth or scabrous; sclerenchyma under epidermis on outer side of leaves forming 5-7 narrow strands; habitat subalpine or alpine

17.  Culms (5)8-20(25) cm tall, usually glabrous below the inflorescence; outer vegetative shoot sheaths mostly pale; hairs on inner surface of leaves shorter (0.06 mm long); lemmas usually scabrous toward the apices and on margins; range AK to CA (and E Asia?)    F. saximontana  var. purpusiana (St.-Yves) Tzvelev

17  Culms 16-37 cm tall, usually sparsely scabrous or pubescent below the inflorescence; outer vegetative shoot sheaths brownish on lower half; hairs on inner surface of leaves longer (to 0.1 mm long); lemmas often scabrous on distal half; range BC

     ............................................................................. F. saximontana var. robertsiana Pavlick

11.  Anthers more than 2 mm long; plants to 100 cm tall, rarely dwarfed except on strong serpentine substrates; lemmas 4-8 mm long; habitat lowlands to alpine [awns 0 to as long as lemma body]

18.  Awns on many of the lemmas longer than the lemmas; [inflorescence open, with the lowest branches often reflexed at maturity; habitat usually shade to partial shade; ovary apex densely pubescent; leaf sheath margins overlapping]

19.   Leaves folded or involute, 0.25-0.6 mm wide; lemma veins typically 0(1); lemmas normally glabrous; common and widespread

....  ..............................................................  F. occidentalis Hooker [Western Fescue]

19.  Leaves flat or rolled, more 1 mm wide when flattened; lemma veins 5 (sometimes obscure); lemmas (papillate -) scabrous; uncommon in California and SW Oregon

....  ............................................................ F. elmeri Scribn. & Merr. [Elmer’s Fescue]

18.  Awns about equal to or shorter than the lemmas, or none; [habitat various but not in full shade and usually in full sun]

20.  Plant rhizomatous or stoloniferous (the rhizomes or stolons bearing scales, which are bladeless leaf sheaths), [young shoots arising perpendicular to the parent shoot  and bursting through the leaf sheath; leaf sheath usually with retrorse hairs]

....  .....................................................  F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

20.  Plant cespitose [young shoots arising parallel or perpendicular to the parent shoot]

21.  Lemma bodies (excluding awns) less than 5.8, usually less than 5.5 mm long.  CAUTION: Lemmas grow; this measurement is trustworthy only if the spikelet is collected at or after anthesis (flowering).  Immature plants, and those with fungus infection of the lemmas, cannot be identified using this key.

22.  Leaf sheath margins fused; leaf sclerenchyma bundles less than 2 times as broad as thick; leaf sheath brown, usually shredding between white veins, usually contrasting in color with the white veins exposed by the shredding sheaths

....  ...............................................  F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

22.  Leaf sheath margins overlapping; leaf sclerenchyma bundles more than 2 times as broad as thick; leaf sheaths whitish to light brown, sometimes pink or purplish, generally not shredding

23.  Leaves narrow (usually 0.4-0.6 mm) in diameter; leaf sheaths usually narrow and tight; hairs on adaxial (inner) leaf surface many and longer; lemmas glabrous; leaves often pubescent on abaxial (outer) surface; leaf sclerenchyma interrupted (i.e., forming discrete bundles)

....  F. valesiaca Schleicher ex Gaudin* [Valais Fescue, “Covar Sheep Fescue”]

23.  Leaves often wider (0.5-1.2 mm) in diameter; leaf sheaths wider, pale, flattened; hairs on adaxial (inner) leaf surface many and short; lemmas glabrous or pubescent on distal third; leaves glabrous on abaxial surface; leaf sclerenchyma continuous or interrupted

.... ...............  F. trachyphylla (Hackel) Krajina* [Hard Fescue, Sheep Fescue]

21.  Lemma bodies more than 5.8 mm long

24.  Sheaths of basal leaves dark brown with contrasting whitish veins, splitting or shredding 

25.  Leaf sheath margins overlapping; leaf sclerenchyma bundles either more than 2 times as broad as thick or regularly forming narrow sclerenchyma girders; range west of Cascades and Sierra Nevada

26.  Plant densely cespitose; lemmas glabrous or scabrous only near tip; ovary apex glabrous; leaf sclerenchyma bundles more than 2 times as broad as thick; range SW BC to Santa Cruz Co., CA  ............................................................. F. roemeri (go to lead 29)        

26.  Plant loosely cespitose; lemmas papillate to scabrous over entire surface; ovary apex densely pubescent; leaf sclerenchyma regularly forming narrow sclerenchyma girders; range Douglas Co., OR to Santa Barbara Co., CA

....  ...............................................  F. elmeri Scribn. & Merr. [Elmer’s Fescue]

25.  Leaf sheath margins fused; leaf sclerenchyma bundles less than 2 times as broad as thick, rarely forming sclerenchyma girders; range east or west of Cascades and Sierra Nevada

27.  Ovary apex glabrous; lower (outer) surface of leaves either not scabrous, or scabrous over the entire surface; [habitat mesic to moist; widespread; nearly all Red Fescues with lemmas this long are rhizomatous]

............................................... F. rubra L. [Red Fescue] complex (see below)

27.   Ovary apex pubescent; lower (outer) surface of at least some leaves with densely scabrous over the veins; [habitat dry to seasonally dry; Washington east of the Cascades]

.... ................................  F. washingtonica E.B. Alexeev [Washington Fescue]

24.  Sheaths of basal leaves paler (white, pink, light brown), usually lacking contrasting veins, usually crumbling or somewhat splitting but not shredding [leaf sclerenchyma > 2 times as broad as thick; ovary apex glabrous]

28.  Leaves spin readily in the fingers because the leaves are thin (round or hexagonal in cross section), veins typically 5, the smaller veins often not opposite ribs; ribs typically 3(5); sclerenchyma bands 5 or more (one per vein) or confluent; hairs of inner surface of leaves many and long; plants growing near and east of the Cascade Crest, east of the Klamath Mountains (present on Mt. Shasta), or in or east of the Sierra Nevada

....  .............................................................  F. idahoensis Elmer [Idaho Fescue]

28.  Leaves do not spin or if they do, the angles readily apparent because the leaves in cross section are ellipsoid to obovate; veins typically 5-7, the smaller veins typically opposite ribs; ribs typically 5-7; sclerenchyma bands various but often 3 and distinct; hairs of inner surface of leaves few or many, long or short; plants growing west of the Cascade Crest, and in and west of the Klamath Mountains

.......................................  F. roemeri (Pavlick) E.B. Alexeev [Roemer’s Fescue]

29.  Hairs on inner (upper) surface few, short; plants growing from Douglas County, Oregon northward, and also along the coast south to the San Francisco area .........

      .................................................................................. F. roemeri. var. roemeri

29.  Hairs on inner (upper) surface many, longer; plants growing in the Klamath region of southwest Oregon and northern California

....................................................... F. roemeri  var. klamathensis B.L. Wilson

Festuca rubra L. intraspecific taxa

Classification of Festuca rubra in the Pacific Northwest is unsatisfactory.  There are too many presumed native taxa of coastal sands and soil pockets in coastal rocks.  The overlapping ranges attributed to the supposed taxa do not increase confidence in their reality.  Despite this abundance of names for coastal fescues, there may be unnamed non-coastal native taxa.  However, some of the inland plants may belong to supposedly coastal taxa.    

Because previous keys to Pacific northwest Red Fescues fail and at this time I cannot improve on them, I merely list the most obviously relevant F. rubra taxa (and the superficially similar F. heterophylla), without a key.  If you choose to name your specimen to subtaxon, you may feel a lack of certainty; so would we.  The most distinctive taxa (F. rubra subsp. arenicola = F. ammobia Pavlick, F. rubra subsp. commutata = F. nigrescens Gaudin, F. rubra subsp. fallax = heteromalla Pourret, and F. heterophylla) are often treated at the species level.

Unless noted otherwise, assume that leaf sheaths readily shred into reddish-brown strips revealing pale veins; leaves are conduplicate (folded lengthwise); lemmas are glabrous or scabrous; ovary apices are glabrous.

Taxa probably limited to the coast   (sand dunes, rocky headlands, and salt marshes):

F. rubra subsp. arenaria (Osbeck) F. Aresch., “Sand Red Fescue.”  Leaves rounded on the back (not conspicuously keeled), sclerenchyma on outer surface of leaves usually continuous; lemmas usually hairy; habitat coastal sands; collected on Vancouver Island, not known to persist.  Introduced.

F. rubra subsp. arenicola E.B. Alexeev = F. ammobia Pavlick, “Beach Red Fescue.”  Inflorescences very dense and relatively broad; lemmas oddly blank-looking (shiny and mostly glabrous with veins obscure), acute to mucronate; leaves with very heavy sclerenchyma bands; plants growing in tufts but with rhizomes that may be short; plants short (sometimes less than 15 cm in the field, to about knee high in irrigated, fertilized conditions); leaf color glaucous or green, often in the same population; habitat coastal sands, N CA to WA (BC?).  Native.

F. rubra subsp. acuta (V.I. Krecz. & Bobrov) Hultén, “Aleut Red Fescue.”  A rhizomatous plant of coastal sands, with lemmas 6-9 mm long, awns 2.5-4.5 mm long.  Vancouver Island and adjacent mainland to Alaska and the Kamchatka Peninsula.  Native.

F. rubra subsp. mediana (Pavlick) Pavlick, “Dune Red Fescue” Lemmas 4.5-6 mm long, acuminate in side view, with awns 0.5-2 mm long.  Habitat said to be coastal dunes but perhaps otherwise (salt marshes? elsewhere?); range Vancouver Island to Oregon.  Native. 

F. rubra subsp. pruinosa (Hack.) Piper, “Rock Fescue.”  Leaves often glaucous, sometimes green, forming dense tufts but also putting out long rhizomes which can leap out of their pots (or rock crevices); leaves often glaucous.  Habitat coastal rocks, pilings, and sometimes pebble or sandy beaches.  Range littoral zones of both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, south to CA.  Native.

Widely distributed taxa, which may also be found at the coast:

F. heterophylla Lam., “Various-leaved Fescue.”  Ovary apex densely hairy.  Plant densely to loosely cespitose, lacking rhizomes.  Leaves of vegetative shoots folded, 0.3-0.6 mm in diameter; leaves of culms flat, 2-4 mm wide.  Lemmas 5-8.5 mm long, awns 1.5-6 mm long.  Planted in shady lawns and sometimes persisting.  Widespread but uncommon. 

F. rubra subsp. arctica (Hack.) Govor., “Arctic Red Fescue.”  Inflorescences branches hairy; lemmas usually pilose (trait shared with some other coastal taxa); habitat sands, gravels, silts, in diverse situations, coastal and more often inland, mainly arctic, growing in NW BC and the Rockies of Alberta.  Native.

F. rubra subsp. commutata Gaudin = F. nigrescens Lam., “Chewings Fescue.”  Densely cespitose, lacking rhizomes.  Leaf sheaths usually merely puberulent (not really hairy), often not readily shredding, sometimes somewhat pale; lemma bodies usually 4.5-5.5 (-5.8) mm long, with short awns 1-3.3 mm long.  Commonly planted for erosion control and in lawns, sometimes in drier habitats than used by other F. rubra taxa.  Widespread.  Introduced.

F. rubra subsp. fallax (Thuill.) Nyman = F. heteromalla Pourret, “Flatleaf Red Fescue”  Leaves usually flat, 2-7 mm wide (or loosely folded and 0.8-2.5 mm in diameter); sclerenchyma usually present on the inner as well as the outer surface of the leaves; leaf sclerenchyma bundles sometimes more than 2 times as wide as thick.  Habitat moist disturbed areas, from BC to CA.  Introduced.

F. rubra subsp. rubra, “Red Fescue.”  A variable taxon (or cluster of taxa), rhizomatous but also loosely cespitose because several culms arise together from the same rhizome node.  Leaves folded (rarely flat), 0.5-2 mm diameter, green or glaucous; lemmas (4) 6-7.5 (8) mm long, with awns to 4 mm long.  Habitat disturbed moist places.  Planted for lawns, erosion control, and forage; widely distributed.  Introduced.

F. rubra subsp. mediana (Pavlick) Pavlick, “Dune Red Fescue,” (see above) may also occur inland(?).    

F. rubra subsp. secunda Pavlick, “Secund Red Fescue.”  Supposedly characterized by cauline leaves with loose sheaths which may partially enclose the inflorescence, but that trait is either hard to assess or inconstant.  Lemma somewhat long (5.8-6.6 mm long), awns 1-5 mm long.  Habitat said to be pebble beaches, rock crevices, meadows, cliffs, and stabilized sand dunes (but perhaps also found inland?), OR to AK.  Native.

F. rubra subsp. vallicola (Rydb.) Pavlick, “Mountain Red Fescue.”  A relatively delicate red fescue of mountain meadows, usually above 3000 feet.  Rhizomatous, the shoots usually arising singly and vegetative shoots few.  Leaves deep green, narrow (0.5-1.5 mm wide as folded).  Lemmas 5-6 mm long, with awns to 2.5 (4) mm long.  Habitat montane and subalpine moist meadows and lake shores.  Range perhaps YT and N BC south in Rockies to WY.  Native.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Barbara Ertter, Thomas J. Rosatti, and Debbie Kelly provided a report from the SMASCH database at UC.  Wesley E. Niles and Kathryn Birgy provided a report from the herbarium database at UNLV.  Scott Sundberg made available the atlas database at OSC.  Mary Barkworth provided much advice and encouragement.  I also thank all those who provided access to specimens from CAS, HSC, OSC, RSA, UC, US, and WTU.  Feedback on the keys was provided by Dr. Aaron Liston, Francisco Camacho, Justen Whittal, and the Carex Working Group (Richard Brainerd, Keli Kuykendall, Dana Lytjen, Bruce Newhouse, Nick Otting, and Peter Zika). 

Some Important References on Taxonomy of Festuca and Allies

Adams, W. T., & R. W. Allard.  1982.  Mating system variation in Festuca microstachys.  Evolution 36: 591-595. 

Aiken, S. G.  1993.  Festuca; Fescue.  Pp. 1259-1262 in Hickman, J. C. 1993.  The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California.  University of California Press, Berkley, California.

Aiken, S. G. & S. J. Darbyshire.  1990.  Fescue Grasses of Canada.  Agriculture Canada Publ. 1844/E.  Canadian Government Publishing Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 

Aiken, S. G., & L. L. Consaul. 1995.  Leaf cross sections and phytogeography: a potent combination for identifying members of Festuca subgg. Festuca and Leucopoa (Poaceae) occurring in North America.  Canadian Journal of Botany 82: 1287-1299.

Aiken, S. G., & R. I. Lonard.  1993.  Vulpia.  Pp. 1302-1303 in J. C. Hickman, ed.  The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California.  University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Aiken, S. G., L. L. Consaul, A. Spidle, & B. May.  1994.  Allozyme and morphological observations on Festuca hyperborea compared with F. baffinensis and F. brachyphylla (Poaceae) from the Canadian Arctic.  Nordic Journal of Botany 14: 137-143. 

Aiken, S. G., M. J. Dallwitz, C. L. McJannet, & L. L. Consaul.  1997a.  Fescue Grasses of North America: Interactive Identification and Information Retrieval.  Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa.  CD-ROM. 

Aiken, S. G., M. J. Dallwitz, C. L. McJannet, & L. L. Consaul.  1997b.  Biodiversity among Festuca (Poaceae) in North America: diagnostic evidence from DELTA and clustering programs, and in INTKEY package for interactive, illustrated identification and information retrieval.  Canadian Journal of Botany 75: 1527-1555.

Alderson,  J., & W. C. Sharp.  1995.  Grass Varieties in the United States. United States Department of Agriculture.  CRC Lewis Publishers, New York.

Alexeev, E. B., 1982.  New and little-known fescues (Festuca L.) of North America.  Byull. Moskovskogo obshchestva isppyt. pirody, otd. biol. [Bulletin of the Moscow Society of Naturalists, Biological Division] 87: 109-118. 

Beal, W. J., 1896.  Grasses of North America, Vol. II.  Henry Holt & Company, New York.

Bulinska-Rodomska, Z., & R. N. Lester. 1988.  Intergeneric relationships of Lolium, Festuca, and Vulpia (Poaceae) and their phylogeny.  Plant Systematics and Evolution 159: 217-227.

Conner, H. E.  1960.  Variation in leaf anatomy in Festuca norvae-zelandiae (Hack.) Cockayne, and F. matthewsii (Hack.) Cheeseman.  New Zealand Journal of Science 3: -468-509. 

Darbyshire, S. J.  1993.  Realignment of Festuca subgenus Schedonorus with the genus Lolium (Poaceae).  Novon 3: 239-243.

Darbyshire, S. J.  2005. New combinations in Festuca californica (Poaceae). SIDA Contributions to Botany 21: 1455-1463.

Darbyshire, S. J.  2007.  Leucopoa Griseb.  Pp. 443-445 in Barkworth, M.E., K.M. Capels, S. Long, L. K. Anderton, & M. B. Piep (eds.) Flora North America, vol. 24: Poaceae (part 1). Oxford University Press, New York. 

Darbyshire, S. J.  2007.  Schedonorus P. Beauv.  Pp. 445-448 in Barkworth, M.E., K.M. Capels, S. Long, L. K. Anderton, & M. B. Piep (eds.) Flora North America, vol. 24: Poaceae (part 1). Oxford University Press, New York. 

Darbyshire, S. J., & L. E. Pavlick.  1997.  Nomenclatural notes on North American grasses.  Phytologia 82: 73-78.

Darbyshire, S. J., & L. E. Pavlick.  2007.  Festuca L.  Pp. 389-443 in Barkworth, M.E., K.M. Capels, S. Long, L. K. Anderton, and M. B. Piep (eds.) Flora North America, vol. 24: Poaceae (part 1). Oxford University Press, New York. 

Darbyshire, S. J., & S. I. Warwick.  1992.  Phylogeny of North American Festuca (Poaceae) and related genera using chloroplast DNA restriction site variation.  Canadian Journal of Botany 70: 2415-2429.

Darbyshire, S. J. 2007. Contributions to the genus Festuca (Poaceae: Poeae) in Mexico and a key to the Central American Species. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1(2) :  827-840.

Druce, G. C.  1915.  Plant notes, etc., for 1914.  Report of the Botanical Society Exchange Club of the British Isles 4: 1-48.

Dubé, M., & P. Morisset.  1987.  Morphological and leaf anatomical variation in Festuca rubra L. sensu lato from eastern Quebec.  Canadian Journal of Botany 65: 1065-1077.

Dubé,  M. & P. Morisset.  1996.  La plasticité phénotypique des caractéres anatomiques foliaires chez le Festuca rubra L. (Poaceae).  Canadian Journal of Botany 74: 1708-1718.        

Duyvendak, R., B. Luesink, & H. Vos.  1981.  Delimitation of taxa and cultivars of red fescue (Festuca rubra L. sensu lato).  Rasen - Turf - Gazon 3:53-61.

Franklin, J. F. and C. T. Dyrness.  1973.  Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington.  Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, Oregon. 

Frederiksen, S.  1982.  Festuca brachyphylla, F. saximontana, and related species in North America.  Nordic Journal of Botany 2:535-536. 

Habeck, J. R.  1961.  The original vegetation of the mid-Willamette Valley, Oregon.  Northwest Science 35: 65-77.

Habeck, J. R.  1962.  Forest succession in Monmouth township, Polk County, Oregon, Since 1850.  Proceedings of the Montana Academy of Science 21: 7-17.

Hackel, E.  1882.  Monographia Festucarum Europaearum.  : Verlag von Theodor Fische.  Kassel and Berlin.

Harlan, J. R. & J. M. J. de Wet.  1971.  Toward a rational classification of cultivated plants.  Taxon 20:509-517. 

Harms, V. L.  1985.  A re-consideration of the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Festuca altaica complex in North America.  Madroño 32: 1-10. 

Hey, J.  2001.  Genes, Categories, and Species.  Oxford University Press, New York, New York. 

Hitchcock, A. S. & A. Chase.  1950.  Manual of the Grasses of the United States.  United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

Hitchcock, C. L., A. Cronquist, M. Ownbey, & J. W. Thompson.  1969.  Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest; Part 1; Vascular Cryptogams, Gymnosperms, and Monocotyledons.  University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington

Hitchcock, C. L., & A. Cronquist.  1973.  Flora of the Pacific Northwest: an Illustrated Manual.  University of Washington Press, Seattle, Washington.

Huff, D. R., & A. J. Palazzo.  1998.  Fine fescue species determination using laser flow cytometry.  Crop Science 38: 445-450. 

Kjellqvist, E.  1961.  Studies in Festuca rubra L.: 1. Influence of Environment.  Botaniska Notiser 114: 403-408.

Lonard, R. I.  2007.  Vulpia C. C. Gmel. Pp. 448-454 in Barkworth, M.E., K.M. Capels, S. Long, L. K. Anderton, and M. B. Piep (eds.) Flora North America, vol. 24: Poaceae (part 1). Oxford University Press, New York. 

Lonard, R. I., & F. W. Gould.  1974.  The North American species of Vulpia (Graminae).  Madroño 22: 217-280. 

Mabberley, D. J.  1987.  The Plant-book.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Markgraf-Dannenberg, I. 1980.   Festuca.  Pp. 125-153 in Tutin, T. G., V. H. Heywood, N. A. Burges, D. M. Moore, D. H. Valentine, S. M. Walters, and D. A. Webb (eds.). Flora Europaea, Vol. 5: Monocotyledons.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Missouri Botanic Garden.  Accessed 2001.  W3TROPICOS.  Available online at:  http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/vast.html

Munz, P. A., & D. D. Keck.  1959.  A California Flora.  University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Oliva, G., A. Martinez, M. Collantes, & J. Dubcovsky.  1993.  Phenotypic plasticity and contrasting habitat colonization in Festuca pallescens.  Canadian Journal of Botany 71: 970-977.

Pavlick,  L. E.  1983.  The taxonomy and distribution of Festuca idahoensis in British Columbia and northwestern Washington.  Canadian Journal of Botany 61: 345-353.

Pavlick, L. E.  1983.  Notes on the taxonomy and nomenclature of Festuca occidentalis and F. idahoensis.  Canadian Journal of Botany 61: 337-344. 

Pavlick, L. E.  1985.  A new taxonomic survey of the Festuca rubra complex in northwestern North America, with emphasis on British Columbia.  Phytologia 57: 1-17.

Pavlick, L. E., & J. Looman.  1984.  Taxonomy and nomenclature of rough fescues, Festuca altaica, F. campestris (F. scabrella var. major), and F. hallii, in Canada and the adjacent part of United States.  Canadian Journal of Botany 62: 1739-1749.

Peck, M. E.  1941.  A Manual of the Higher Plants of Oregon.  Binfords & Mort, Publishers, Portland, Oregon. 

Piper, C. V.  1906. North American species of Festuca.  Contributions from the National Herbarium 10: 1-48.

Ramesar-Fortner, N. S., S. G. Aiken, & N. G. Dengler.  1995.  Phenotypic plasticity in leaves of four species of arctic Festuca (Poaceae).  Canadian Journal of Botany 73: 1810-1823.

Scribner, F. L. & E. Merrill.  1902.  New or noteworthy North American Grasses.  Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club  29: 466-470 

St.-Yves, A.  1925.  Contribution a l’etude des Festuca (subgen. Eu-Festuca) de l’Amerique du Nord et du Mexique.  Candollea 2: 229-316.                                   

Stace, C. A. 1991.  New flora of the British Isles.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

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Wilkinson, M. J., & C. A. Stace.  1988.  The taxonomic relationships and typification of Festuca brevipila Tracey and F. lemanii Bastard (Poaceae).  Watsonia 17: 289-299. 

Wilkinson, M. J., & C. A. Stace.  1991.  A new taxonomic treatment of the Festuca ovina L. aggregate (Poaceae) in the British Isles.  Botanical Journal of the Linnaean Society 106: 347-397.

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TABLE 1.  Selected synonyms taxa of Festuca  allies that are identified in this article. 

Festuca altaica Trin. subsp. scabrella (Torr. ex Hook.) Hultén = F. campestris

Festuca ammobia Pavlick = F. rubra subsp. arenicola

Festuca arundinacea Schreb.  = Schedonorus arundinaceus

Festuca brevipila R. Tracey = Festuca trachyphylla

Festuca bromoides L. = Vulpia bromoides

Festuca elatior L. subsp. arundinacea (Schreb) = Schedonorus arundinaceus

Festuca elatior L. subsp. pratensis (Huds.) Hackel Schedonorus pratensis

Festuca heteromalla Pourret = F. rubra subsp. fallax

Festuca hitchcockiana E. B. Alexeev  = F. californica subsp. hitchcockiana  

Festuca howellii Hackel ex Beal  = F. elmeri, also misapplied to F. viridula

Festuca idahoensis Elmer west of the Cascades, misapplied to F. roemeri

Festuca kingii (S. Watson) Cassidy = Leucopoa kingii

Festuca longifolia Thuill., misapplied to F. trachyphylla

Festuca megalura Nutt. = Vulpia myuros

Festuca microstachys Nutt. = Vulpia microstachys

Festuca myuros L. = Vulpia myuros

Festuca nigrescens Lam. = F. rubra L. subsp. commutata

Festuca ovina L. = a very ambiguous name, often used for F. baffinensis, F. brachyphylla, F. minutiflora, F. saximontana, F. trachyphylla, and F. valesiaca.

Festuca parishii (Piper) A. S. Hitchcock = F. californica subsp. parishii

Festuca pratensis Huds. = Schedonorus pratensis

Festuca pseudovina Hack. ex Wiesb = F. valesiaca

Festuca rubra L. subsp. megastachys (Gaudin) Piper probably = F. rubra subsp. fallax

Festuca rubra L. var. littoralis Vasey ex Beal invalid name applied to F. rubra subsp. arenicola and F. rubra subsp. pruinosa

Festuca scabrella Torr. ex Hook. = F. campestris and F. altaica

Hesperochloa kingii(Wats.) Rydb. = Leucopoa kingii

Lolium subulatum Visiani = L. rigidum

Vulpia megalura Rydb. = V. myuros

Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta (Hackel) Asch. & Graebn. = V. myuros