West Highland Flora

Viviparous Fescue


Festuca vivipara

 

Festuca vivipara

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 Sep 2001 Penifiler, Skye

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.

 

Festuca vivipara

Photo © Carl Farmer
15 May 2003 Coulnacraggan, Skye

  Festuca vivipara

Photo © Carl Farmer
15 May 2003 Coulnacraggan, Skye

Shoots in Spring before infloresence opens; the protruding pointed plantlets
already show this to be a viviparous grass

 

Festuca vivipara

Photo © Carl Farmer
25 Jun 2004 Portree, Skye
Picture c 6.3 cm wide
 

Festuca vivipara

Photo © Carl Farmer
10 Aug 2002 Broadford, Skye

 

An exceptionally lush crop of plantlets on this one
(Broad grass-blades in picture are of other species)

 
 
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