Western fescue
| Western fescue |
|---|
|
| Scientific Classification |
|
| Binomial Name |
|
Festuca occidentalis |
Western fescue is a species of fescue grass that is known by the scientific name Festuca occidentalis. Detailed information about the western fescue is not really available due to its provincial habitat and not being relatively popular among people or botanists. The plant primarily resides in the Northwestern United States as its partial name implies, but have also been found in British Columbia. It lives in a relatively hot region and its leaves tend to droop, possibly due to the condition of its habitat. As a result few people cultivate western fescue as a lawn grass.
Anatomy
Western fescue is classified as grass. Its stems are generally thin and between 40 - 110 centimeters. Leaves are 5-25 centimeters in blade, and 0.5-1 mm in width. Its inflorescence has one or two [branches, their length is 5-20 centimeters, and they are usually sagging because they live in a hot area. They are only found in half of North America such as Peninsular rages, Sierra Nevada, Northwestern California, Modoc Plateau, and Central Western California. British Columbia is the only place that it can be found outside of the United States.[1]
Reproduction
Western fescue's active growth period is during the spring and summer, and the bloom period is spring, and ends around beginning of summer. Its growth rate is balanced, not very fast or slow, but after harvest, it becomes too weak to regrow, so if harvested it becomes useless and cannot be reproduced. It is propagated only by seed; its reproduction has nothing to do with such bare root, bulb, container, corn, cuttings, sod, sprigs, tubers. The seed spread rate is slow.[2][3]
--- Detailed Chart for Western fescue ---
| Reproduction | |
|---|---|
| Bloom Period | Spring |
| Commercial Availability | Contracting Only |
| Fruit/Seed Abundance | High |
| Fruit/Seed Period Begin | Spring |
| Fruit/Seed Period End | Summer |
| Fruit/Seed Persistence | No |
| Propagated by Bare Root | No |
| Propagated by Bulb | No |
| Propagated by Container | No |
| Propagated by Corm | No |
| Propagated by Cuttings | No |
| Propagated by Seed | Yes |
| Propagated by Sod | No |
| Propagated by Sprigs | No |
| Seed per Pound | 34800 |
| Seed Spread Rate | Slow |
| Seedling Vigor | Medium |
| Small Grain | No |
| Vegetative Spread Rate | None |
Ecology
Western fescue lives in North America. Also, as it is classified as grass, it is seen in forests. It is known that western fescue is found in dry climate areas such as San Juan County. Its habitat is really limited as mentioned before. It is rarely found in British Columbia; it is hard to find and discover, that's why the information or research on Western fescue is relatively weak.[5][6]
--- Distribution in California ---
| Counties | Jepson Bioregions |
|---|---|
| Amador | Warner Mountains |
| Butte | North Coast |
| Colusa | Klamath Ranges |
| Del Norte | North Coast Ranges |
| El Dorado | Cascade Range Foothills |
| Fresno | High Cascade Range |
| Glenn | Sierra Nevada Foothills |
| Humboldt | High Sierra Nevada |
| Kern | Tehachapi Mtns |
| Lake | Central Coast |
| Lassen | SF Bay |
| Madera | South Coast Ranges |
| Mendocino | Peninsular Ranges |
| Monterey | Modoc Plateau |
| Modoc | |
| Mariposa | |
| Marin | |
| Napa | |
| Nevada | |
| Placer | |
| Plumas | |
| Riverside | |
| Sacramento | |
| Santa Barbara | |
| San Bernardino | |
| San Benito | |
| Santa Clara | |
| Santa Cruz | |
| San Diego | |
| Shasta | |
| Sierra | |
| Siskiyou | |
| San Luis Obispo | |
| San Mateo | |
| Solano | |
| Sonoma | |
| Tehama | |
| Trinity | |
| Tulare | |
| Tuolumne | |
| Yolo | |
| Yuba |
Video
Blue Fescue is same species of western fescue.
References
- Western Fescue - Plant Information Festuca occidentalis Gardenguides, © 1997-2009 Hillclimb Media.
- Festuca occidentalis Hook western fescue USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture
- PSEUDOTSUGA MENZIESII – ABIES GRANDIS / FESTUCA OCCIDENTALIS Chappell, C.B. 2006. Upland plant associations of the Puget Trough ecoregion, Washington. Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Olympia, WA.
- PLANT INFORMATION, Festuca occidentalis - western fescueCalifornia Native Plant Link Exchange
- F. occidentalis Hook. WESTERN FESCUE TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL, ©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
