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Festuca
See list of 7 species in this genusLemma awns tend to be longest on the distal florets of a given spikelet. Leaf sheaths readily split in age. Therefore, when assessing closure of the sheath, only new leaves should be examined. Reference: Darbyshire and Pavlick (2007).
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1a. Leaf blades flat, (3–) 4–10 mm wide; apex of ovary pubescent; panicles with eventually wide-spreading or even somewhat deflexed branches with triangular cross-section
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1b. Leaf blades involute or rarely flat, 0.2–3 mm wide; apex of ovary glabrous; panicle branches erect to ascending (rarely spreading-ascending), without triangular cross-section
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2a. Most of the flowers proliferous, replaced by vegetative bulbils [Fig. 229]; anthers rarely present, usually abortive
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2b. Flowers fertile, not proliferous; anthers present
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3a. Basal sheaths red-brown, usually minutely pubescent in the apical half, shredding into persistent fibers [Fig. 230]; sheaths of new leaves closed ¾ or more of their length
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3b. Basal sheaths white-brown to light brown, usually glabrous, not shredding [Fig. 228]; sheaths of new leaves not closed or closed up to or slightly more than ½ their length
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4a. Lemmas awnless or with a tiny mucro up to 0.4 mm long; leaf blades of vegetative shoots with 1 rib
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4b. Lemmas with awns 0.5–2.5 mm long; leaf blades of vegetative shoots with 1–7 ribs (the ribs often obscure in F. ovina)
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5a. Anthers (0.5–) 0.7–1.1 (–1.3) mm long; spikelets with 2–4 (–6) florets; reproductive stems 8–35 cm tall; native grass of alpine habitats
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5b. Anthers (1.8–) 2–3.4 mm long; spikelets with 3–7 (–8) florets; reproductive stems (10–) 20–75 cm tall; European species introduced as turf grasses and soil stabilizers
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6a. Anthers (1.8–) 2–2.5 mm long; leaf blades 0.3–0.7 (–1.2) mm wide, with 1–3 obscure ribs; lemmas 3–4 mm long
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6b. Anthers 2.3–3.4 mm long; leaf blades (0.5–) 0.8–1.2 mm wide, with 5–7 ribs; lemmas 3.8–5 mm long
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Each photo represents one species in this genus.