Family: Poaceae
hard fescue, sheep fescue
[Festuca cinerea auct. non Vill., more... ]
Etymology: Festuca: ancient Latin name for some type of grass, obscure
Plants: perennial grass
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
Plants: perennial grass
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
Lawns, beaches, rock outcrops, pavement cracks, roadsides, gravel areas, bluffs, oak savannas, barrens, dry prairies, bracken grassland, borders of forests and along trails and logging roads, dry, open soil. Hard fescue is native to Europe and it has sometimes been included in F. ovina L., sheep fescue. Festuca ovina has leaves 0.5–0.6 mm wide, (0.8–1.2 mm wide in F. trachyphylla) and lemma awns rarely more than 1 mm long (1.5–2.8 mm long in F. trachyphylla). First collected in 1915.
Flora of North America: Flora of North America USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Grasses of Iowa: Detailed photographs, descriptions, maps