Festuca arizonica

Springer et al. 2009, Gould 1980

General: Erect perennial bunch grass without rhizomes, stems 35-90 cm tall, densly scabrous or densely pubescent below the inflorescence.  Vegetative: Leaves tightly involute, mostly basal and filiform, these 15-50 cm long, 0.3-0.8 mm wide, rolled and glaucous, scabrous or puberulent with a ligue 0.5-1.5 mm long, membranous with a ciliate margin. No auricles, sheaths closed for less than half their length, glabrous or scabrous. Inflorescence: Linear to lanceolate panicle, 6-12 cm long, loosely contracted to open with 1-2 branches per noted,  lower erect or spreading, spikelets 9-12 mm long, mostly 4-6 flowered, unequal lanceolate glumes, lower 3-5.5 mm long, 1-veined; upper 4.5-6.6 mm long, 3-veined; lemma 5.5-9 mm long, faintly 5-veined, glabrous to scabrous. Awnless or with minute awns 0.4-2 mm long, the anthers 3-4 mm long with densely pubescent ovary apices.  Ecology: Found in open ponderosa forests and in high-elevation meadows, 7,000–10,000 ft (2133–3048 m), flowers June–August. Distribution: Found across the southwestern United States and into northern Mexico. Notes: Easy to identify with its involute leaves and large fountain-like habit, especially in the larger stands of the species. Is very simple to harvest the seed when mature and can be useful as a restoration species. Ethnobotany: No known uses. Etymology: Festuca comes from Latin for stalk, straw or rod, while arizonica means of or from Arizona. Editor: SBuckley, 2021, 2025