Festuca rubra L., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Festuca richardsonii Hook.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: zi yang mao

English: creeping fescue, ravine fescue, red fescue

French: fétuque rouge, fétuque rouge traçante

Korean: wanggimuiteol

Spanish: caòuela roja

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Perennials, occasionally producing short, delicate rhizomes; culms loosely tufted, red-tinged or purple-tinged at base, erect to ascending, 4.5-10 dm tall, glabrous.  Sheaths 3-4 cm long, striate, usually glaucous; ligule ca. 0.5 mm long; blades 8-17 cm long, usually involute, sparsely scabrous on margins and at the acute apex.  Inflorescences paniculate, 3-20 cm long, usually narrow and contracted, with erect or ascending branches 2-4 mm long; spikelets usually pale green or glaucous, often purple-tinged, 4-7-flowered, 10-15 mm long (including awns), rachilla scabrous; glumes attenuate, sparsely scabrous on upper 1/2 of keel, first glume 2.5-3 mm long; palea 4-5 mm long, keels scabrous, apex acute.  Caryopsis pale brown, oblong, 3-4 mm long, dorsally compressed and sulcate"  (Wagner et al., 1999; pp. 1547-1548).

Description from GrassBase.

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawaii, "sparingly naturalized in pastures and shrubland communities, 820-2,140 m"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1548).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  "Eurasia and North Africa, widely used as a pasture and turf grass" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 1548).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1584) Voucher cited: Lyman s.n. (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 1584)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim (2011) (p. 33) vel. aff. L. East Maui. Voucher cited: Starr & Starr 090504-01 (BISH)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive cultivated	Csurhes, S./Edwards, R. (1998) (p. 160)
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Tasmania, Victoria Naturalised
British Columbia (province of Canada) Province of British Columbia	Canada (British Columbia)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Grassy slopes, roadsides, alpine meadows, other grassy places, in sun or shade; 600-4500 m. Widespread and common in China.
Japan Japan	Japan	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 192) Also form. vivipara S. Kawano, var. commutata Gaudin and var musashiensis Ohwi
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Ernst/Scholz, Hildemar (1980) (p. 82)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Edgar, E./Connor, H. (2000) (p. 120) "Grasslands, scrublands, wasteplaces; sea level to 1850 m".
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Washington)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Canada Canada	Canada	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Festuca rubra, please let us know.