Festuca rubra Linnaeus. Red Fescue. Phen: Apr-Jul. Hab: Dune grasslands, salt scrub, and borders of oligohaline to mesohaline marshes in the Coastal Plain (where presumably native), in middle- to high-elevation forests, rocky woodlands, barrens, grassy balds, and bogs in the Mountains (where also presumably native), and in fields, pastures, weedy clearings, and other open, disturbed habitats (where presumably introduced from Eurasia, adventive from native populations, or some complex mix of situations). Dist: In our area, this species is considered to be partly native and partly introduced.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: This species is circumboreal, extending south (as a native) in North America to GA and MO. Many varieties or subspecies have been described in the F. rubra complex. It is not clear how our material should be subdivided (or whether it can be).

Synonymy: = Ar, C, G, HC, Il, Meso6, Mi, Mo1, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Va, WV, Aiken & Darbyshire (1990), Tucker (1996); > Festuca rubra L.; > Festuca rubra L. ssp. arctica – K3, K4, NE; > Festuca rubra L. ssp. commutata – K3, K4, NE, NY; > Festuca rubra L. ssp. fallax – K3, K4, NE; > Festuca rubra L. ssp. pruinosa – K3, NE; > Festuca rubra L. ssp. rubra – FNA24, K1, K3, K4, NE, NY; > Festuca rubra L. var. arenaria (Osbeck) Fr. – F; > Festuca rubra L. var. commutata Gaudin – F; > Festuca rubra L. var. multiflora (Hoffm.) Asch. & Graebn. – F; > Festuca rubra L. var. mutica Hartm. – F; > Festuca rubra L. var. rubra – F

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
• Great Plains: FAC
• Midwest: FACU
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily ?: 9