NC, Smokies, 20060601
CabinCove, two fescues. 

Fescues that potentially belong here:

fls spklt low gl up gl lem awn lf wide hair
Annuals:
myuros 4-5 15-16mm 1-2.7mm 4-5.5mm 4.0-5.0mm 8-25mm 0.5-1.2mm .  .  . 
octoflora 5-11 8-16mm 2.0-5mm 3-6.5mm 2.5-5.0mm 1-6mm 0.5-0.8mm .  .  . 
Perennials:
rubra 4-5 8-12mm 2.5-4mm 3.5-5mm 3.5-5.0mm 0.5-3mm 0.5-1.5mm .  . P? 
ovina 4-5 8-12mm 2.5-4mm 3.5-5mm 3.5-5.0mm 0.5-3mm 0.5-1.5mm .  . P? 
elatior 4-9 9-20mm 3.5-5mm 5.5-7mm ?  0-2mm 2.0-9.9mm S? S?  . 
paradoxa 3-6 6-8mm 3.0-4mm 3-4.5mm 4.5-5.5mm none 4.0-9.9mm S? S?  . 
obtusa 1-3 3-6mm 2-3.2mm 3-4.5mm 3.5-4.0mm none 1.5-8.0mm P?  . P? 
(hairy: above, below, sheath: p=pilose, s=scaber, .=glab)

Festuca elatior 

Along roadside below our property, possibly also by road at top of hill; in full fl. 
 GEN tall, erect, few well-sep closely appress lvs
 LF narr (3-4mm), glab, 100% open sheath
 LIG short, trunc, memb
 INFL tall narr pan, brs sp scaber, 1-brs 1-2 per node, spklts 1 per node
 SPKLT 13x3x1mm, lance, lat comp, 6 fls or so
gls 4mm and 5mm, 1 vein, keeled, scar marg, acute, glab
lem 8mm, 3 veins, min scaber awn to 1mm just bel tip between 2 v min teeth, midv sp scaber and maybe scaber-cil, not keeled, veins v faint, scar marg esp ab and teeth
pal 7mm, strongly 2-keeled, veins scaber
I'd assumed it was Bromus, but nothing matched after a exhaustive (but short) search through all available species in RA&B (the Wofford key really bites!), so I tried again, and came up with Festuca, of course, which keys easily in RA&B.

Along roadside I think; starting to fl. 
 GEN med, erect, slender
 LF 1-1.5mm wide, glab, scar aur present, trunc lig < 1mm
 INFL narr pan, scaber
 STAM 3
 SPKLT 10mm, 5 fls, low gl 2.8-3mm, up gl 3.7-4.1mm, lem 6.5-7mm, gls glab, lem scaber on midv at v top, 0.5mm scaber awn on some lemmas
This must be a poorly developed or young version of F. elatior.

Festuca obtusa 

Very similar; from around pond or vicinity; in full fl. 
 GEN slender, erect, reddish bel
 LF flat, ~1.5mm wide, sp pil on blade ab and sheath, min or no aur, v min lig
 INFL narr pan
 STAM 3
 SPKLT 4-5mm, 1-3 fls, low gl 2.1-2.7mm, up gl 3.5-3.8mm, lem 3.5mm, gls scaber, lems glab

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Last changed on August 17, 2007