Festuca arundinacea Schreb.
Family: Poaceae, Tribe: Poeae
Pertinent Synonyms & Notes (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other synonyms)
Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub, Bromus arundinaceus Roth
Pertinent Common Names (particularly those used in California; go to GRIN for other common names)
tall fescue
Primary Disseminule Type
floret
Description (diagnostics are in brown)
Spikelets solitary, pedicelled (pedicels 3–8 mm long), consisting of 3–8(10) fertile florets with similar-looking though diminished sterile florets at apex, elliptic or oblong, laterally compressed, 8–16 mm long. Disarticulation below each fertile floret.
Glumes persistent, dissimilar, shorter than spikelet, without keel. Lower glume lanceolate, 3–6 mm long, 0.6 length of upper glume, herbaceous or scarious, 1-veined (lateral veins absent), apex obtuse or acute. Upper glume lanceolate or oblong, 4–7(9) mm long, 0.7–0.8 length of adjacent fertile lemma, chartaceous, 3-veined, apex acute.
Fertile florets: rachilla persistent, scaberulous, callus blunt, glabrous.
Lemma ovate to lanceolate, 6–9(12) mm long, chartaceous, with green or purple coloring, without keel, 5-veined, midvein prominent, surface scaberulous to hispidulous (distally), apex acute, awnless or awn to 4 mm long, near apex.
Palea same length as lemma, surface coarsely grandular and dull, 2-veined, keels scaberulous.
Caryopsis oblong, 2–4 mm long x 0.9–1.6 mm wide, brown, embryo <0.33 length of caryopsis, hilum linear, 2 mm long.
Similar Species
Similar Species Comparison Chart
Risk Assessment (codes in yellow or red indicate cause for concern; assessments are current as of mid-2011; click AUQP, NZBORIC, or NZBPI for access to the most recent versions of these databases and possible assessment changes)
AUQP, NZBORIC, NZBPI