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Festuca filiformis Pourr.

Overview
General Information
ID Info
Similar Species
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Family :

Famille :

Poaceae

Synonym(s) :

Synonyme(s) :

Festuca capillata Lam. (USDA-ARS 2022)

Festuca tenuifolia Sibth. (USDA-ARS 2022)

Festuca ovina subsp. tenuifolia (Sibth.) Čelak. (Braun et al. 2020)

Festuca ovina var. tenuifolia (Sibth.) Mert. & W.D.J. Koch (Braun et al. 2020)

Common Name(s) :

Nom(s) commun(s) :

Hair fescue

(English) (Barkworth et al. 2007; AOSA 2022)

Fine-leaf sheep fescue (English) (Barkworth et al. 2007; AOSA 2022)

Slender fescue (English) (Wiersema and León 1999)

Fétuque chevelue (French) (Barkworth et al. 2007)

Festuca filiformis florets, palea view

  • Festuca filiformis florets, palea view

  • Festuca filiformis floret, palea view

  • Festuca filiformis floret, lemma view

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Overview

Aperçu

Regulation :

Remarques Réglementation:

    Regulation Notes:

    Distribution :

    Répartition :

    Festuca filiformis is native to Europe, the Russian Federation, introduced and naturalized in North and South America, and New Zealand (USDA-ARS 2022).

    Habitat and Crop Association :

    Habitat et Cultures Associées :

    Native Festuca filiformis grows in rocky, sandy, and peat soils (Tutin et al. 1980).

    Economic Use, cultivation area, and Weed Association :

    Utilisation économique, zone de culture et association de mauvaises herbes :

    Festuca filiformis is a cool-season turf grass that is heat and drought tolerant, low maintenance requiring minimal mowing, and is also suitable for roadsides on dry and sandy soils (Alderson and Sharp 1995; Barkworth et al. 2007). When this species escapes cultivation it can become a weedy pest. (Barkworth et al. 2007).

    Duration of Life Cycle :

    Durée du cycle vital:

    Perennial

    Dispersal Unit Type :

    Type d’unité de dispersion :

    Floret

    General Information

    RENSEIGNEMENTS GÉNÉRAUX

    Festuca filiformis belongs to a group of Festuca species generally referred to as fine fescues sold for use in turfgrass systems under a variety of environmental conditions (Braun et al. 2020). F. filiformis is a cool-season perennial bunchgrass with fine hair-like leaves and dense growth that does well on poor, dry soil and is grown commercially for lawn and turf (Alderson and Sharp 1995; Barkworth et al. 2007). Other fine fescues sold in commercial channels include Festuca heterophylla (various-leaved fescue), F. ovina (sheep fescue), F. trachyphylla (hard fescue), F. rubra subsp. rubra and F. rubra subsp. littoralis sold under the common names of red fescue or creeping red fescue, and F. rubra subsp. commutata (Chewings fescue) (Alderson and Sharp 1995; Braun et al. 2020; AOSA 2022; USDA-AMS 2022). Overlapping morphological characters in florets and caryopses among the fine fescue group can make identification difficult.

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    Identification

    Identification

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    • Spikelet

      Size

      • Spikelet length: 3 – 6 (6.5) mm (Barkworth et al. 2007).
      • Spikelet length: (3.7) 4 – 5.2 mm long (Tutin et al. 1980).

      Shape

      • Spikelet egg-shaped.

      Surface Texture

      • Surface usually smooth.

      Colour

      • Spikelet yellowish brown with reddish-purple tinge.

      Other Features

      Spikelet composition

      • Spikelet composed of 2 – 6 (8) similar looking florets with distal floret usually sterile and slightly smaller in size (Barkworth et al. 2007).

      Glumes

      • Glumes narrowly teardrop-shaped (ovate- or oblong- lanceolate) (Barkworth et al. 2007).
      • Lower glume length: 1.0 – 2.5 mm (Barkworth et al. 2007).
      • Upper glume length: (1.7) 2 – 3.0 (3.9) mm (Barkworth et al. 2007).

      Disarticulation

      • Disarticulation of the spikelet occurs generally above the glumes and between the florets at the rachilla nodes.

       

    • Floret

      Size

      • Floret length*: 2.2 – 3.7 mm (average 3.2 mm); width*: 0.6 – 0.9 mm (average 0.7 mm).
      • Rachilla length*: 0.4 – 0.8 mm (average 0.6 mm).
      •  Awn length*: 0.1 – 0.7 mm (average 0.4 mm).
      *Note: minimum and maximum based on a random selection of 12 florets in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23358.

      Floret size measurements from literature:

      • Lemma length: 2.3 – 3.6 (4.4) mm; width: 1.4 – 1.5 (1.7) mm; unawned or awn up to 0.4 mm (Tutin et al. 1980).
      • Lemma length: 2.3 – 4.0 (4.4) mm; unawned or awn up to 0.4 mm (Barkworth et al. 2007).
      • Floret length: 3.0 – 3.4 mm; width: 0.6 – 0.7 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).

      Shape

      • Floret narrowly teardrop-shaped (lanceolate), dorsal-ventrally compressed to slightly in-rolled forming a longitudinal depression of the palea of the lower half of the floret, lemma not keeled.

      Surface Texture

      • Lemma papery and usually smooth or with short stiff or soft hairs near the tip and along margins; palea papery, granular and with tuft of short hairs near the tip.

      Colour

      • Floret yellowish-brown with reddish-purple tinge.

      Other Features

      Lemma

      • Lemma tapering to a narrow point and sometimes extending into a very short awn.
      • Lemma wrapping around to cover margins of the palea but leaving palea keels partially exposed.

      Awn

      • Unawned or very short awn.

      Callus

      • Callus is a thin ridge on the lemma side that is thicker in the center and appearing slightly curved.

      Rachilla

      • Rachilla is straight, thin, cylindrical with flared tip; smooth or hairy.

      Palea

      • The palea nearly as long as lemma.
      • Palea keels two, in-rolled, central palea appearing recessed.
      • Area between palea keels smooth or with short hairs near the tip.
      • Palea keel hairs (palea teeth) lacking or short and widely spaced.
      • Palea translucent and the dark caryopsis is visible behind the palea.

       

      Festuca filiformis florets, palea view

    • Caryopsis

      Size

      • Caryopsis length*: 1.6 – 1.9 mm (average 1.7 mm); width*: 0.7 – 0.8 mm (average 0.7 mm).
      • Hilum length*: 1.3 – 1.5 mm (average 1.4 mm).
      Note:* Minimum and maximum of caryopsis and hilum based on five caryopses in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23358.

      Caryopsis size measurements from the literature:

      • Caryopsis length: 1.6 – 1.8 mm; width 0.5 – 0.6 mm (Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).

      Shape

      • The caryopsis is narrowly oblong, oval, or egg-shaped, dorsal-ventrally compressed, slightly in-rolled longitudinally on hilum side.

      Surface Texture

      • Caryopsis surface is smooth to slightly rough, dull.
      • Apex of caryopsis without hairs.

      Colour

      • Caryopsis is pale to dark reddish-brown coloured.

      Other Features

      • The hilum is linear, located in a longitudinal depression, about four-fifths the length of caryopsis.
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    • Embryo

      Size

      • Embryo length*: 0.4 – 0.5 mm (average 0.4 mm).
      • The embryo is about one-fifth the length of caryopsis.
      Note:* Minimum and maximum of caryopsis and hilum based on five caryopses in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23358.

      Shape

      • Embryo shape oval.

      Endosperm

      • Endosperm solid (Terrell 1971).

      Other Features

      • Embryo position lateral (Martin 1446).

    Identification Tips

    CONSEILS POUR L’IDENTIFICATION

    Florets of Festuca filiformis have similar features as those of other commercially sold Festuca species.; however, florets of F. filiformis are smaller than any of the other species in this group. The lemmas of F. filiformis are naturally awnless or may have a very short awn, whereas other Festuca species in this group have awns that can extend more than 2 mm. General characteristics of F. filiformis and other Festuca species in this group are discussed in the similar species section of this factsheet.

    Caution should be used when attempting to identify florets and caryopses from commercial seed lots as many diagnostic features may be damaged or removed during seed conditioning.

    Festuca filiformis floret, palea view

    Additional Botany Information

    AUTRES RENSEIGNEMENTS BOTANIQUES

    Flowers/Inflorescence

    • The inflorescence is a contracted panicle, 1 – 6(14) cm long with one or two upright branches per node (Barkworth et al. 2007).
    • Anther length: (1) 1.5 – 2.2 mm (Barkworth et al. 2007).
    • Ovary apex without hairs (Barkworth et al. 2007).

    Vegetative Features

    • Densely tufted plants, not rhizomatous, stems 10 to 60 cm tall (Tutin et al. 1980; Barkworth et al. 2007; Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007).
    • Leaf sheaths closed for less than one-third their length, smooth or with hairs (Barkworth et al. 2007).
    • Leaf blades in-rolled and appearing thin and hair-like (Alderson and Sharp 1995; Barkworth et al. 2007).

    Similar Species

    ESPÈCES SEMBLABLES

    Similar species are based on a study of seed morphology of various species, and those with similar dispersal units are identified. The study is limited by physical specimen and literature availability at the time of examination, and possibly impacted by the subjectivity of the authors based on their knowledge and experience. Providing similar species information for seed identification is to make users aware of similarities that could possibly result in misidentification.

    Florets and caryopses in this group of taxa have many similar morphological features, some of which can make them indistinguishable.

    The general floret shape among all the similar species is narrowly teardrop-shaped (lanceolate), dorsal-ventrally compressed and slightly in-rolled on the palea side; the lemma tapers to a narrow point that usually extends into an awn. I is naturally awnless or very short awned, while floret of similar species may appear to be awnless because the awn is fragile and easily broken, especially in commercial seed lots. The lemma wraps around to cover the margins of the palea, but usually leaves the palea keels exposed. Floret sizes within the spikelet are usually larger near the base of the spikelet and get smaller toward the tip of the spikelet. Floret size ranges among the similar species overlap; however, F. rubra and F. heterophylla tend to be longer and wider than florets of F. ovina and F. trachyphylla, and florets of F. filiformis are the smallest in this group.

    The papery lemmas and paleas are about the same colour among the similar species as they are represented by various shades of yellowish-brown and are sometimes tinged with purple or green shading. The lemmas can be smooth to hairy.

    For this group of species, the palea is nearly equal in length to the lemma, the two palea keels are in-rolled, and the central part of the palea is sunken in the lower half. The palea is a bit more translucent than the lemma and the dark caryopsis is visible through the palea in mature florets.

    The caryopses within this group of similar species are narrowly oblong-oval and pointed at the embryo end, dorsal-ventrally compressed and slightly in-rolled forming a longitudinal groove on the hilum side. The exception is F. filiformis, in which the caryopses are generally oval in outline. Surface texture of the caryopses are smooth to slightly rough, dull to slightly shiny. The tip of the caryopsis (end opposite the embryo) is not hairy, except in F. heterophylla the tip of the caryopsis is hairy. The embryo is about one-fifth the length of the caryopsis and is in the lateral position (Martin 1946). The hilum is long and linear and about three-fourths the length of the caryopsis but is slightly longer in F. filiformis. The endosperm is described as solid (Terrell 1971).

    Refer to the comparison chart for morphological differences among the similar species. The size measurements provided in the comparison table are based on seed herbarium material located at the California Department of Food and Agriculture (specimens accession numbers are provided for each species).

     

    Festuca heterophylla Lam.
    [Festuca rubra L. var. heterphylla (Lam.) Mutel]
    Various-leaved fescue, shade fescue

    Note:* minimum and maximum sizes are based on 13 florets and one caryopsis in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23305.

     

    Festuca ovina L.
    Sheep fescue

    *Note: minimum and maximum sizes are based on 10 florets and eight caryopses in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23351, CDA-S-23357.

     

    Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata Markgr.-Dann.
    [Festuca nigrescens Lam.; Festuca rubra L. subsp. fallax auct.]
    Chewings fescue, chewing’s fescue

    *Note: minimum and maximum sizes are based on combined five samples with a random selection of 36 florets and 22 caryopses in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23403, CDA-S-23384, CDA-S-23415

     

    Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra
    [Festuca rubra L. var. rubra]
    Red fescue, creeping red fescue

    *Note: minimum and maximum based on a combined five samples with a random selection of 60 florets and nine caryopsis in normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23411, CDA-S-23396, CDA-S-23410, CDA-S-23387, CDA-S-57406.

     

    Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) R. P. Murray
    [Festuca brevipila R. Tracey used by CFIA 2021 and F. trachyphylla (Hack.) Krajina used by USDA-AMS 2022]
    Hard fescue

    Note:* minimum and maximum sizes are based on 10 florets and 5 caryopses in a normal range of this species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020). CDA-S-23326, CDA-S-57398.

    Comparison Table of Similar Species.

    F. filiformis F. rubra subsp. rubra F. rubra subsp. commutata F. heterophylla F. ovina F. trachyphylla
    Floret length (mm)* 2.2 – 3.7 3.4 – 7.7 4.0 – 6.6 4.1 – 6.3 4.0 – 5.7 3.6 – 4.9
    Floret width (mm)* 0.6 – 0.9 0.7 – 1.3 0.7 – 1.1 0.8 – 1.0 0.7 – 1.1 0.8 – 1.0
    Lemma awn length (mm)* Unawned or very short awn, 0.1 – 0.7 0.3 – 2.9 0.4 – 2.4 0.6 – 2.9 1.0 – 4.0 0.7 – 2.4
    Lemma surface texture Lemma usually smooth or with short stiff or soft hairs near tip and along margins. Lemma smooth or covered with short stiff or soft hairs especially in upper half. Lemma smooth or sparsely hairy. Lemma usually smooth, sometimes with short hairs near tip or long hairy in the upper two-thirds. Lemma mostly smooth or with short stiff hairs near tip or sometimes hairy in upper two-thirds. Lemma usually smooth or with short stiff hairs in upper half, rarely hairy all over.
    Callus Thin ridge, thicker in the center and appearing slightly curved. Blunt with a thick rounded ridge on the lemma side. Blunt with a thick rounded ridge on the lemma side. Plump ridge, thicker in the center and appearing slightly curved. Thick ridge, blunt base. Thick ridge.
    Rachilla Rachilla smooth or hairy. Rachilla smooth or covered with short hairs. Rachilla smooth or covered with short hairs. Rachilla smooth or sparsely long hairy. Rachilla smooth to sparsely long hairy. Rachilla smooth to sparsely long hairy.
    Palea Palea surface granular, area between the palea keels smooth or with short hairs near the tip; keel hairs (palea teeth) lacking or short and widely spaced. Palea surface granular, tuft of short soft hairs near apex; keel hairs (palea teeth) short and stiff. Palea surface granular, tuft of short soft hairs near apex; keel hairs (palea teeth) short and stiff. Palea surface granular, area between palea keels hairy near tip; keel hairs (palea teeth) along upper two-thirds of keels short and stiff and widely spaced. Palea surface granular, area between palea keels hairy near tip; keels hairs (palea teeth) along upper one-third of keels short and stiff. Palea surface granular, area between palea keels sparsely hairy in upper third and especially near tip.
    Caryopsis length (mm)* 1.6 – 1.9 2.9 – 4.1 2.4 – 3.8 2.9 2.1 – 3.1 2.5 – 3.8
    Caryopsis width (mm)* 0.7 – 0.8 0.8 – 1.0 0.6 – 1.0 0.6 0.5 – 0.7 0.8 – 0.9
    Caryopsis apex Caryopsis apex not hairy. Caryopsis apex not hairy. Caryopsis apex not hairy. Caryopsis apex hairy. Caryopsis apex not hairy. Caryopsis apex not hairy.
    Caryopsis other features Hilum linear, about 4/5 the length of caryopsis. Hilum linear, about ¾ the length of caryopsis. Hilum linear, about ¾ the length of caryopsis. Hilum linear, about ¾ the length of caryopsis. Hilum linear, about ¾ the length of caryopsis. Hilum linear, about ¾ the length of caryopsis.

     
    *Minimum and maximum measurement of structures in a normal range of these species using image measurement protocol (ISMA 2020).

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    Reference(s)

    Référence(s)

    Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handbook 170, rev. ed. CRC Press.

    Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA). 2022. Rules for Testing Seeds, Vol. 3: Uniform Classification of Weed and Crop Seeds. Association of Official Seed Analysts, Washington D. C.

    Barkworth, M. E., Capels, K. M., Long, S. and Piep, M. B. (eds.). 2007. Flora of North America Volume 24. Magnoliophyta: Commelinidae (in part): Poaceae, part 1. Oxford University Press, New York, New York.

    Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of Seeds and Fruits of Central and East-European Flora: The Carpathian Mountains Region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

    Braun, R. C., Patton, A. J., Watkins, E., Koch, P. L., Anderson, N. P., Bonos, S. A., Brilman, L. A. 2020. Fine fescues: A review of the species, their improvement, production, establishment, and management. Crop Science 60:1142-1187. DOI:10.1002/csc2.20122

    Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). 2021. Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seeds (M&P). Version 1.1, English. Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

    eFloras. 2022. Flora of China. Festuca rubra. efloras.org Accessed May 23, 2022.

    International Seed Morphology Association (ISMA). 2020. Method for seed size measurement. Version 1.0. ISMA Publication Guide. https://www.idseed.org/authors/details/method_for_seed_size_measurement.html.

    Martin, A. C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. The American Midland Naturalist 36(3):513-660.

    Musil, A. F. 1963. Identification of Crop and Weed Seeds. Agriculture Handbook No. 219. U. S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D C.

    Terrell, E. E. 1971. Survey of occurrences of liquid or soft endosperm in grass genera. Bull. Torr. Botan. Club 98(5):264-268.

    Tutin, T. G., Haywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Waters, S. M., Webb, D. A. (Eds.). 1980. Flora Europaea. Volume 5: Alismataceae to Orchidaceae (Monocotyledons). Cambridge University Press.

    United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service-National Plant Germplasm System (USDA-ARS). 2022. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=300215 Accessed May 23, 2022.

    United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS). 2022. Federal Seed Act Regulations. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-K/part-201 Accessed November 10, 2022.

    Wiersema, J. H. and León, B. 1999. World Economic Plants: A Standard Reference. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

    Author(s)

    AUTEUR(S)

    Deborah J. Lionakis Meyer

    California Department of Food and Agriculture (retired)