Notes on Festuca sp.

Festuca sp. from Finland (on the left: Lohja, Jalassaari, 1979; on the right: Lohja, Seppälänsaari, 2001). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimens). – The Jalassaari occurrence may be introduced; it consisted of one dense, sterile tuft in grassy, very low, eutrophic rock surface by a summer villa, near Inula salicina. The Seppälänsaari occurrence comprises several plants that are loosely cespitose, have subterranean stolons, rather long leaves, very narrow glumes, and 0.3-1.2 mm long awns to the lemmas. Also this may be introduced though the habitat is spruce-dominated rich woods on somewhat calcareous soil; the vegetation is not without certain human influence.
    The present plant is closely related to F. ovina (Poaceae). Its basal leaves are narrower (0.15-0.25 mm when dry) than those of F. ovina (0.3-0.5 mm). At least in the dry condition, they are also softer and more fragile.
    The leaf features of the present plant suggest of F. filiformis Pourr. (F. capillata, F. tenuifolia). However, that species has unawned lemmas. F. filiformis is known as a very rare introduced casual in Finland.  The present plant could not be identified even with the aid of the following contribution: Wilkinson, M.J., and Stace, C.A. 1991: A new taxonomic treatment of the Festuca ovina L. aggregate  (Poaceae) in the British Isles. –  Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 106: 347-397.

Created August 12, 2004.