Viviparous Fescue |
Festuca vivipara |
![]() Photo ©
Carl Farmer |
Very common in grassland and moorland, from sea-level to mountain tops. Upper glume c 3.5 mm. Spikelets c 5-10 mm long ex viviparous shoots. Plant typically c 20-40 cm tall. ID: Has young plants in place of flowers. Leaves threadlike, ligules extremely short. Other features: The other two normally viviparous grasses in the area are mountain species, Alpine Hair-grass and Alpine Meadow-grass - both have substantial ligules (averaging over 3 mm long). But many grasses can occasionally produce viviparous spikelets. However F vivipara is usually plentiful where found and entirely viviparous. |
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Photo © Carl Farmer |
![]()
Photo © Carl Farmer |
Shoots in Spring before infloresence opens; the protruding
pointed plantlets
already show this to be a viviparous grass
Photo ©
Carl Farmer
25 Jun 2004 Portree, Skye
Picture c 6.3 cm wide
![]() Photo ©
Carl Farmer |
An exceptionally lush crop of plantlets on this one |
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