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Northern Fescue - Festuca viviparoidea
Other Names:
Festuca vivipara, Festuca ovina var. vivipara
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Rare in Montana, where it is only know from a few sites in Glacier National park. Population numbers are apparently very low. However, the species generally occurs in areas and habitats that either are not susceptible or not experiencing negative impacts.
General Description
Perennial bunchgrass. Stems 10–25 cm. Leaves: blades ca. 1 mm wide. Inflorescence a narrow panicle 3–5 cm long. Spikelets of variable length depending on number and size of the vegetative bulblets. Lemmas uncommon, sometimes awn-tipped
(Lavin in Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Species Range
Montana Range
Year-round
Range Comments
Collected in Glacier County. AK to Greenland south to BC, MT and WY; Asia (Lavin in Lesica 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 22
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Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Grows in moist alpine tundra.
Ecological Systems Associated with this Species
- Commonly Associated with these Ecological Systems
Alpine Systems
References
- Additional ReferencesLegend:
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Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
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