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• Poaceae
• Poaceae Group 4
• Festuca
• Festuca prolifera

Festuca prolifera — proliferous fescue

Facts

Proliferous fescue is a rare alpine species found only in Maine and New Hampshire, where it forms mats on cliffs, seeps and in ravines. Its spikelets can produce vegetative plantlets directly on the mother plant, and the species uses this unusual form of reproduction more commonly than producing seeds.

Habitat

Alpine or subalpine zones, cliffs, balds, or ledges, talus and rocky slopes

Characteristics

• Flowers

  Anther length

  At least 0 mm

  Anther number

  0–3

  Awn on glume

  the glume has no awn

  Bristles below spikelets

  no

  Floret lower bract texture

  the lemma is thin and flexible

  Floret types within spikelet

  all the florets within a spikelet are similar

  Glume awn length

  0 mm

  Glume relative length

  neither glume is quite as long as all of the florets

  Glume shape

  the glume is V-shaped in cross-section

  Glume veins

  • 1
  • 3

  Glumes per spikelet

  2

  Inflorescence arrangement

  the spikelets are uniform

  Inflorescence axis orientation

  • the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
  • the inflorescence axis is straight

  Inflorescence branches

  the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence

  Inflorescence branches coming off the lowest stem node

  1–2

  Inflorescence crowding

  • the panicle is somewhat to very congested (crowded), and the branches may not be clearly seen without close inspection
  • the panicle is somewhat to very spread out, with clearly-evident branches

  Inflorescence length

  30–120 mm

  Inflorescence type (general)

  the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches

  Inflorescence type (specific)

  the inflorescence is branched, and the branches do NOT both grow from the same side of the plant AND look like spikes

  Inforescence position

  the spikelets are mainly carried at the end of the stem

  Lemma awn base

  NA

  Lemma awn coiled

  NA

  Lemma awn length

  0 mm

  Lemma awn number

  the lemma has no awn

  Lemma awn orientation

  NA

  Lemma base hair length

  0 mm

  Lemma base hairs

  the lemma is hairless or feels just a tiny bit rough at the base

  Lemma surface

  the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)

  Lemma tip

  the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)

  Lemma tip shape

  • the lemma tip tapers to a long narrow point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)
  • the lemma tip tapers to a narrow point (it may or may not also have an awn or teeth at the tip)

  Lemma vein number

  • 1
  • 5

  Lemma vein orientation

  the veins on the lemma stay roughly parallel throughout

  Lower glume length

  2.5–5.5 mm

  Lower glume relative length

  • the lower glume is nearly as long, or as long as, the upper glume
  • the lower glume is one third to three quarters as long as the upper glume

  One or more florets

  there is more than one floret per spikelet

  Palea length

  At least 0 mm

  Palea relative length

  • palea is less than one half as long as lemma or absent
  • palea is one half to fully as long as lemma

  Reproductive system

  all the flowers on the plant have both carpels and stamens (synoecious)

  Spikelet axis tip

  there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet

  Spikelet number per node

  Up to 0

  Spikelet pedicel

  the spikelets have pedicels

  Spikelet shape

  the spikelets are lanceolate (lance-shaped, widest below the middle and tapering narrowly to the ends) in profile

  Spikelets per panicle branch

  0–3

  Spikelets spiny

  the spikelets do not appear spiny

  Tip of glume

  the tip of the glume is not divided (though it may have an awn on it)

  Upper glume length

  3.5–6.5 mm

  Upper glume relative length

  the upper glume is more than one half as long as the lowest lemma

  Upper glume shape

  the upper glume is widest at or below the middle

• Fruits or seeds

  Groove on seed

  the caryopsis has a groove running most of its length

• Growth form

  Horizontal rooting stem

  yes

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

• Leaves

  Basal leaves

  the plant has large or prominent tufts of leaves at the base of the flowering stem

  Leaf auricles

  the leaves do not have auricles

  Leaf basal lobe hairy

  • NA
  • the lobes at the base of the leaf blades are hairless

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf is tapered gradually to the base

  Leaf blade cross-section

  the leaf blade is clearly folded or rolled inwards

  Leaf blade hairs

  • the leaf blade is hairless, but it may have tiny prickles that give it a sand-papery feel
  • the leaf blade is hairy

  Leaf blade texture

  • the leaf blade is rough and sandpapery
  • the leaf blade is smooth, or it may have soft hairs

  Leaf blade width

  0.3–1 mm

  Leaf ligule length

  0.1–0.6 mm

  Leaf ligule type

  the leaf ligule is in the form of a membrane with fine hairs

  Leaf margin glands

  there are no glands along the edges of the leaf blade

  Leaf sheath closed around stem

  the margins of the leaf sheath are fused together and form a closed tube except (possibly) at the very top

  Leaf sheath color and persistence

  the leaf sheathes are reddish-brown and disintegrate or become shredded in older leaves

  Leaf sheath hair type

  there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath, but the hairs do not have blisters at their bases

  Leaf sheath hairs

  there are hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath

  Orientation of topmost leaf

  the flag leaf is held upright, or at less than a 45 degree angle out from the stem

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Maine
  • New Hampshire

  Specific habitat

  • alpine or subalpine zones
  • cliffs, balds, or ledges
  • talus or rocky slopes

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Plant height

  10–41 cm

  Roots at lower stem nodes

  • no
  • yes

  Stem hairs

  • the stem has hairs on it
  • the stem is nearly to completely hairless

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright

  Stem spacing

  • the stems grow close together in compact clusters or tufts
  • the stems grow singly or a few together (they may form diffuse colonies)

Wetland status

Not classified

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae