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Plant - summer
Mahan Park


Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants

Festuca arizonica - Arizona fescue

Synonyms: Festuca ovina var. arizonica, Festuca altaica subsp. arizonica, Festuca scabrella var. asperrima, Festuca vaseyana
Other Common Names: pinegrass, mountain bunchgrass
Plant Form: Grass

Family: Poaceae


   
 
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Blades
Mahan Park
John Kava
Seedhead
Mahan Park
John Kava
  Grass Description -   Glossary of Grass Terminology


Origin: Native    Season: Cool and Warm
Habitat Description: Dry meadows and openings of montane conifer forests, prefers gravelly rocky soil.
Plant Communities:Montane Conifer Forest
Elevation: 6000 - 10000 feet


General Description

Desc: Bluish-green fine leaved tufted grass up to 1 foot diameter and 1 foot high, seedheads extend up to 3 feet. Green growth is present in spring, summer, and fall. Plant greens up in the spring and flowers late spring to August.
Identification Notes: Densely tufted, clumping bunchgrass. Stems 1 to 3 feet tall, clustered, greenish yellow to blue-green. Leaf blades are mostly basal, string-like, and rough to the touch. Florets with less than 1/16 inch awns or no awns.
Grass Type: Perennial bunchgrass  Rhizomes: N  Stolons: N
Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N  Bushy (highly branched): N
Height with Seedheads: 24 to 36 inches
Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted  Seedhead Droops: N
Flowering Period: May - Aug
Flower Characteristics

Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered  Spikelets One-sided: N
Awns: Less than 1/4 inch   Three Awns: N  Awns Bent: N
Flower and Seedhead Notes: Narrow with 1 or 2 spreading branches at the base. Seedhead branches are rough. Spikelets 4 to 6 flowered, awnless or with very short awns. Glumes unequal with hairy margins.
Vegetative Charcteristics

Blade Hairy: N    Blade with White Margins: N    Blade Cross section: Involute
Blade Notes: Blades 10 to 20 inches long, less than 1/8 inch wide, thread-like, stiff, bluish and ascending.
Sheath Hairy: N    Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N    Ligules: Membranous
Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N

Forage Value: Good, highly palatable when the seedheads and blades are green, furnishes considerable forage in some areas. It does not maintain itself well, however, under heavy grazing or grazing during the dormant period.


  Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590
Version 8.0  
http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php  
Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022
Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson  
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