680 Species of Genus Festuca

My Fascination with Fescue: A Deep Dive into a Diverse Genus

As a lifelong botany enthusiast, I’ve always been drawn to the quiet beauty and remarkable adaptability of grasses. Among them, the genus Festuca – the fescues – holds a special place in my heart. These unassuming plants, often overlooked in favor of flashier blooms, are a testament to nature’s resilience and understated elegance.

Fescues are a diverse bunch, with over 600 species spread across the globe. You’ll find them thriving in a variety of habitats, from windswept coastal dunes to alpine meadows, and even in the cracks of city sidewalks. This remarkable adaptability is a testament to their hardiness and evolutionary success.

Understanding the Fescue Family

What exactly makes a fescue a fescue? Well, like all living things, they share certain characteristics that define them as a group. Fescues are typically perennial, meaning they live for more than two years. They form dense tufts or bunches, their leaves slender and often rolled or folded. Their flowers, though not showy, are arranged in delicate panicles, often tinged with purple, green, or gold.

One of the things that fascinates me most about fescues is their ecological importance. They play a vital role in preventing soil erosion, provide food and shelter for wildlife, and contribute to the overall health of grasslands and meadows. Some species, like tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), are even cultivated as forage crops for livestock.

A Closer Look at Species

1. Festuca abyssinica A.Rich.
2. Festuca acamptophylla (St.-Yves) E.B.Alexeev
3. Festuca acanthophylla É.Desv.
4. Festuca achtarovii Velchev & P.Vassil.
5. Festuca actae Connor
6. Festuca actiophyta (M.I.Gut.) Izco & Rivas Mart.
7. Festuca acuminata Gaudin
8. Festuca adamovicii (St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
9. Festuca adanensis Markgr.-Dann.
10. Festuca afghanica Bor
11. Festuca aguana E.B.Alexeev
12. Festuca agustini Linding.
13. Festuca airoides Lam.
14. Festuca akhanii Tzvelev
15. Festuca alaica Drobow
16. Festuca alatavica (St.-Yves) Roshev.
17. Festuca albensis M.Toman
18. Festuca albifolia Reverd.
19. Festuca albomontana Aykurt, Çıngay, Sümbül & Cabi
20. Festuca alexeenkoi E.B.Alexeev
21. Festuca alfrediana Foggi & Signorini
22. Festuca algeriensis Trab.
23. Festuca aloha Catalán, Soreng & P.M.Peterson
24. Festuca alopecuros Schousb.
25. Festuca alpestris Roem. & Schult.
26. Festuca alpina Suter
27. Festuca altaica Trin.
28. Festuca altissima All.
29. Festuca altopyrenaica Fuente & Ortúñez
30. Festuca ambigua Le Gall
31. Festuca amblyodes V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
32. Festuca amethystina L.
33. Festuca ampla Hack.
34. Festuca amplissima Rupr. ex Galeotti
35. Festuca amurensis E.B.Alexeev
36. Festuca anatolica Markgr.-Dann.
37. Festuca ancachsana E.B.Alexeev
38. Festuca andicola Kunth
39. Festuca antucensis (Trin.) Steud.
40. Festuca apuanica Markgr.-Dann.
41. Festuca aquisgranensis Patzke & G.Br.
42. Festuca aragonensis (Willk.) Fuente & Ortúñez
43. Festuca arenaria Osbeck
44. Festuca arenicola (Prodan) Soó
45. Festuca argentina (Speg.) Parodi
46. Festuca argentinensis (St.-Yves) Türpe
47. Festuca arizonica Vasey
48. Festuca armoricana Kerguélen
49. Festuca artvinensis Markgr.-Dann.
50. Festuca arvernensis Auquier, Kerguélen & Markgr.-Dann.
51. Festuca asperella E.B.Alexeev
52. Festuca asperula Vickery
53. Festuca asplundii E.B.Alexeev
54. Festuca asthenica Stapf
55. Festuca atlantica Duval-Jouve
56. Festuca auquieri Kerguélen
57. Festuca auriculata Drobow
58. Festuca australis Nees ex Steud.
59. Festuca austrodolomitica Pils & Prosser
60. Festuca austrouralensis Kulikov
61. Festuca azgarica E.B.Alexeev
62. Festuca azucarica E.B.Alexeev
63. Festuca baffinensis Polunin
64. Festuca bajacaliforniana Gonz.-Led. & S.D.Koch
65. Festuca balcanica (Acht.) Markgr.-Dann.
66. Festuca bargusinensis Malyschev
67. Festuca bauzanina (Pils) S.Arndt
68. Festuca beamanii E.B.Alexeev
69. Festuca beckeri (Hack.) Trautv.
70. Festuca × belensis M.Toman
71. Festuca benthamiana Vickery
72. Festuca bhutanica E.B.Alexeev
73. Festuca bidenticulata E.B.Alexeev
74. Festuca billyi Kerguélen & Plonka
75. Festuca boissieri Amo
76. Festuca boliviana E.B.Alexeev
77. Festuca borbonica Spreng.
78. Festuca borderei (Hack.) K.Richt.
79. Festuca boriana E.B.Alexeev
80. Festuca borissii Reverd.
81. Festuca bosniaca Kumm. & Sendtn.
82. Festuca boyacensis Stancík
83. Festuca brachyphylla Schult. & Schult.f.
84. Festuca breistrofferi Chas, Kerguélen & Plonka
85. Festuca breviaristata Pilg.
86. Festuca breviglumis Swallen
87. Festuca brevipaleata (St.-Yves) E.B.Alexeev
88. Festuca breviramea Enustsch.
89. Festuca brevis (Boiss. & Kotschy) Asch., Schweinf. & Muschl.
90. Festuca brevissima Jurtzev
91. Festuca brigantina (Markgr.-Dann.) Markgr.-Dann.
92. Festuca bromoides L.
93. Festuca brunnescens (Tzvelev) Galushko
94. Festuca bucegiensis Markgr.-Dann.
95. Festuca burgundiana Auquier & Kerguélen
96. Festuca burmanica E.B.Alexeev
97. Festuca burnatii St.-Yves
98. Festuca bushiana (St.-Yves) Tzvelev
99. Festuca cajamarcae Pilg.
100. Festuca calabrica Huter, Porta & Rigo
101. Festuca calcarea Denchev
102. Festuca caldasii (Kunth) Kunth
103. Festuca californica Vasey
104. Festuca callieri (Hack. ex St.-Yves) Markgr.
105. Festuca calligera (Piper) Rydb.
106. Festuca callosa (Piper) St.-Yves
107. Festuca calva (Hack.) K.Richt.
108. Festuca camerunensis E.B.Alexeev
109. Festuca campestris Rydb.
110. Festuca camusiana St.-Yves
111. Festuca capillifolia Dufour ex Roem. & Schult.
112. Festuca cappadocica (Hack.) Markgr.-Dann.
113. Festuca caprina Nees
114. Festuca captiosa Charit.
115. Festuca carazana Pilg.
116. Festuca carchiensis Stancík
117. Festuca carnuntina R.Tracey
118. Festuca carpatica F.Dietr.
119. Festuca carrascana Stancík & Renvoize
120. Festuca cartagana E.B.Alexeev
121. Festuca casapaltensis Ball
122. Festuca catalanae Enustsch. & Prob.
123. Festuca cataonica (Hack. ex Boiss.) Markgr.-Dann.
124. Festuca caucasica (Boiss.) Hack. ex Trautv.
125. Festuca chalcophaea V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
126. Festuca changduensis L.Liu
127. Festuca chasii Kerguélen & Plonka
128. Festuca chelungkingnica D.M.Chang & Skvortsov ex S.L.Lu
129. Festuca chimborazensis E.B.Alexeev
130. Festuca chiriquensis Swallen
131. Festuca chita Stancík
132. Festuca chitagana Stancík
133. Festuca chodatiana (St.-Yves) E.B.Alexeev
134. Festuca christianii-bernardii Kerguélen
135. Festuca chrysophylla Phil.
136. Festuca chumbiensis E.B.Alexeev
137. Festuca chuquisacae Stancík & Renvoize
138. Festuca cinerea Vill.
139. Festuca circinata Griseb.
140. Festuca cirrosa (Speg.) Parodi
141. Festuca claytonii E.B.Alexeev
142. Festuca cleefiana E.B.Alexeev
143. Festuca clementei Boiss.
144. Festuca coahuilana Gonz.-Led. & S.D.Koch
145. Festuca cochabambana E.B.Alexeev
146. Festuca cocuyana Stancík
147. Festuca coelestis (St.-Yves) V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
148. Festuca colombiana E.B.Alexeev
149. Festuca compressifolia J.Presl
150. Festuca confusa Piper
151. Festuca contracta Kirk
152. Festuca copei Renvoize
153. Festuca cordubensis Devesa
154. Festuca coromotensis Briceño
155. Festuca costata Nees
156. Festuca costei (St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
157. Festuca coxii (Petrie) Hack.
158. Festuca cratericola Markgr.-Dann.
159. Festuca cretacea T.I.Popov ex Proskor.
160. Festuca crispatopilosa Bor
161. Festuca cryptantha Cope
162. Festuca csikhegyensis Simonk.
163. Festuca cumminsii Stapf
164. Festuca cundinamarcae E.B.Alexeev
165. Festuca curvula Gaudin
166. Festuca cuzcoensis Stancík & P.M.Peterson
167. Festuca cyllenica Boiss. & Heldr.
168. Festuca cynosuroides Desf.
169. Festuca cyrnea (St.-Yves & Litard.) Signorini, Foggi & E.Nardi
170. Festuca dahurica (St.-Yves) V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
171. Festuca dalmatica (Hack.) K.Richt.
172. Festuca dasyantha Kunth
173. Festuca dasyclada Beal
174. Festuca debilis (Stapf) E.B.Alexeev
175. Festuca decolorata Markgr.-Dann.
176. Festuca deflexa Connor
177. Festuca degenii (St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
178. Festuca delicatula Lag.
179. Festuca densiflora Tovar
180. Festuca densipaniculata E.B.Alexeev
181. Festuca dentiflora E.B.Alexeev ex Stancík & P.M.Peterson
182. Festuca dertosensis Pyke & L.Sáez
183. Festuca deserti (Coss. & Durieu) Trab.
184. Festuca devesae Mart.-Sagarra
185. Festuca dichoclada Pilg.
186. Festuca diclina Darbysh.
187. Festuca dimorpha Guss.
188. Festuca dinirica Stancík
189. Festuca discreta F.M.Vázquez
190. Festuca dissitiflora Steud. ex Griseb.
191. Festuca distichovaginata Pilg.
192. Festuca divergens Tovar
193. Festuca djimilensis Boiss. & Balansa
194. Festuca djurdjurae (Trab.) Romo
195. Festuca dolichantha Keng ex Keng f.
196. Festuca dolichathera Röser & Tkach
197. Festuca dolichophylla J.Presl
198. Festuca donax Lowe
199. Festuca dracomontana H.P.Linder
200. Festuca drakensbergensis Sylvester, Soreng & M.D.P.V.Sylvester
201. Festuca drymeja Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
202. Festuca duriotagana Franco & Rocha Afonso
203. Festuca durissima (Hack.) Kerguélen
204. Festuca duvalii (St.-Yves) Stohr
205. Festuca dyris (Maire & Trab.) Romo
206. Festuca earlei Rydb.
207. Festuca ebeliana Enustsch.
208. Festuca edlundiae S.G.Aiken, Consaul & Lefk.
209. Festuca eggleri R.Tracey
210. Festuca elata Keng ex E.B.Alexeev
211. Festuca elbrusica E.B.Alexeev
212. Festuca elegans Boiss.
213. Festuca elgonensis E.B.Alexeev
214. Festuca elmeri Scribn. & Merr.
215. Festuca elviae Briceño
216. Festuca elwendiana Markgr.-Dann.
217. Festuca eriobasis H.Scholz
218. Festuca eskia Ramond ex DC.
219. Festuca eugenii Kulikov
220. Festuca exaristata E.B.Alexeev
221. Festuca extremiorientalis Ohwi
222. Festuca fabrei Kerguélen & Plonka
223. Festuca fasciculata Forssk.
224. Festuca fascinata S.L.Lu
225. Festuca fiebrigii Pilg.
226. Festuca filiformis Pourr.
227. Festuca fimbriata Nees
228. Festuca flacca Hack. ex E.B.Alekseev
229. Festuca flavescens Bellardi
230. Festuca floribunda (Pilg.) P.M.Peterson, Soreng & Romasch.
231. Festuca forrestii St.-Yves
232. Festuca fragilis (Luces) Briceño
233. Festuca francoi Fern.Prieto, C.Aguiar, E.Días & M.I.Gut.
234. Festuca frederikseniae E.B.Alexeev
235. Festuca frigida (Hack.) K.Richt.
236. Festuca galicicae Horvat ex Markgr.-Dann.
237. Festuca galiciensis Bednarska
238. Festuca gamisansii Kerguélen
239. Festuca gautieri (Hack.) K.Richt.
240. Festuca geniculata (L.) Lag. & Rodr.
241. Festuca georgii E.B.Alexeev
242. Festuca gilbertiana E.B.Alexeev ex S.M.Phillips
243. Festuca giraldoi J.C.Ospina & Picca
244. Festuca glabrata Tovar
245. Festuca glacialis Miégev.
246. Festuca glauca Vill.
247. Festuca glauciola Charit.
248. Festuca glaucispicula Markgr.-Dann.
249. Festuca glumosa Hack. ex E.B.Alekseev
250. Festuca glyceriantha Pilg.
251. Festuca goloskokovii E.B.Alexeev
252. Festuca × gonzalez-ledesmae Darbysh.
253. Festuca gracilior (Hack.) Markgr.-Dann.
254. Festuca gracillima Hook.f.
255. Festuca graeca (Hack.) Markgr.-Dann.
256. Festuca grandiaristata Markgr.-Dann.
257. Festuca gredensis Fuente & Ortúñez
258. Festuca greuteri Mart.-Sagarra & Devesa
259. Festuca × grodnensis Tretjakov
260. Festuca guaramacalana Stancík
261. Festuca guestfalica Boenn. ex Rchb.
262. Festuca gypsophila Hack.
263. Festuca × hackelii Beck
264. Festuca halleri All.
265. Festuca hallii (Vasey) Piper
266. Festuca hartmannii (Markgr.-Dann.) E.B.Alexeev
267. Festuca hatico Stancík
268. Festuca hawaiiensis Hitchc.
269. Festuca hedbergii E.B.Alexeev
270. Festuca hedgei (Bor) E.B.Alexeev
271. Festuca heldreichii (Hack.) E.B.Alexeev
272. Festuca henriquesii Hack.
273. Festuca hephaestophila Nees ex Steud.
274. Festuca hercegovinica Markgr.-Dann.
275. Festuca herrerae Davidse
276. Festuca heteromalla Pourr.
277. Festuca heteropachys (St.-Yves) Patzke ex Auquier
278. Festuca heterophylla Lam.
279. Festuca hieronymi Hack.
280. Festuca hintoniana E.B.Alexeev
281. Festuca hircina Enustsch. & Prob.
282. Festuca hirtiglumis (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Sennikov
283. Festuca hirtovaginata (Acht.) Markgr.-Dann.
284. Festuca hirtula (Hack. ex Travis) Kerguélen
285. Festuca holubii Stancík
286. Festuca hondae E.B.Alexeev
287. Festuca hondoensis (Ohwi) Ohwi
288. Festuca horridula Pilg.
289. Festuca horvatiana Markgr.-Dann.
290. Festuca huamachucensis Infantes
291. Festuca hubsugulica Krivot.
292. Festuca humbertii Litard. & Maire
293. Festuca humilior Nees & Meyen
294. Festuca huonii Auquier
295. Festuca hyperborea Holmen
296. Festuca hypsophila Phil.
297. Festuca hystrix Boiss.
298. Festuca iberica (Hack.) K.Richt.
299. Festuca idahoensis Elmer
300. Festuca igoschiniae Tzvelev
301. Festuca ilgazensis Markgr.-Dann.
302. Festuca illyrica Markgr.-Dann.
303. Festuca imbaburensis Stancík
304. Festuca imperatrix Catonica
305. Festuca inarticulata Pilg.
306. Festuca incurva (Gouan) Gutermann
307. Festuca incurvatifolia C.Chatel., Dobignard, Jeanm. & J.F.Léger
308. Festuca indigesta Boiss.
309. Festuca inguschetica E.B.Alexeev
310. Festuca inops De Not.
311. Festuca intercedens Lüdi ex Bech.
312. Festuca iranica E.B.Alexeev
313. Festuca irtyshensis E.B.Alexeev
314. Festuca itelmenorum Enustsch. & Prob.
315. Festuca jacutica Drobow
316. Festuca jaliscana E.B.Alexeev
317. Festuca jansenii Markgr.-Dann. ex P.Royen
318. Festuca japonica Makino
319. Festuca javorkae Májovský
320. Festuca × jierru Nava
321. Festuca jubata Lowe
322. Festuca junatovii E.B.Alexeev
323. Festuca juncifolia St.-Amans
324. Festuca kamtschatica (St.-Yves) Tzvelev
325. Festuca kansuensis Markgr.-Dann.
326. Festuca karaginensis Enustsch. & Prob.
327. Festuca karavaevii E.B.Alexeev
328. Festuca karsiana E.B.Alexeev
329. Festuca kashmiriana Stapf
330. Festuca kemerovensis Chus.
331. Festuca kerneri J.Vetter
332. Festuca killickii Kenn.-O’Byrne
333. Festuca kingii (S.Watson) Cassidy
334. Festuca × kolesnikovii Tzvelev
335. Festuca kolymensis Drobow
336. Festuca komarovii Krivot.
337. Festuca korabensis (Jáv. ex Markgr.-Dann.) Markgr.-Dann.
338. Festuca koritnicensis Hayek & J.Vetter
339. Festuca kozanensis Foggi & Joch.Müll.
340. Festuca kozhevnikovii Enustsch. & Prob.
341. Festuca krivotulenkoae E.B.Alexeev
342. Festuca kryloviana Reverd.
343. Festuca kuprijanovii Chus.
344. Festuca kurtschumica E.B.Alexeev
345. Festuca kurtziana St.-Yves
346. Festuca lachenalii (C.C.Gmel.) Spenn.
347. Festuca ladyginii Tzvelev
348. Festuca laegaardii Stancík
349. Festuca laevigata Gaudin
350. Festuca lahonderei Kerguélen & Plonka
351. Festuca lanatifolia Tovar
352. Festuca lanifera E.B.Alexeev
353. Festuca lapidosa (Degen) Markgr.-Dann.
354. Festuca lasiorrhachis Pilg.
355. Festuca laxa Host
356. Festuca lazistanica E.B.Alexeev
357. Festuca lemanii T.Bastard
358. Festuca lenensis Drobow
359. Festuca leptopogon Stapf
360. Festuca levingei Stapf
361. Festuca ligulata Swallen
362. Festuca ligustica (All.) Bertol.
363. Festuca lilloi Hack.
364. Festuca linigluma J.C.Ospina, Sylvester & M.D.P.V.Sylvester
365. Festuca litardiereana Maire
366. Festuca litvinovii (Tzvelev) E.B.Alexeev
367. Festuca livida (Kunth) Willd. ex Spreng.
368. Festuca liviensis (Verg.) Markgr.-Dann.
369. Festuca longiauriculata Fuente, Ortúñez & Ferrero Lom.
370. Festuca longifolia Thuill.
371. Festuca longigluma Tovar
372. Festuca longiglumis S.L.Lu
373. Festuca longiligula Darbysh.
374. Festuca longipanicula Markgr.-Dann.
375. Festuca longipes Stapf
376. Festuca longivaginata Tovar
377. Festuca luciarum Connor
378. Festuca lucida Stapf
379. Festuca lugens (E.Fourn.) Hitchc. ex Hern.-Xol.
380. Festuca macedonica J.Vetter
381. Festuca macra (Stapf) E.B.Alexeev
382. Festuca macrophylla Hochst. ex A.Rich.
383. Festuca madida Connor
384. Festuca magellanica Lam.
385. Festuca makutrensis Zapał.
386. Festuca maleschevica Velchev & P.Vassil.
387. Festuca marcopetrii Veldkamp
388. Festuca marginata (Hack.) K.Richt.
389. Festuca maritima L.
390. Festuca markgrafiae Veldkamp
391. Festuca masafuerana (Skottsb. & Pilg.) Röser & Tkach
392. Festuca masatierrae Röser & Tkach
393. Festuca matthewsii (Hack.) Cheeseman
394. Festuca mekiste Clayton
395. Festuca membranacea (L.) Druce
396. Festuca michaelis Cebolla & Rivas Ponce
397. Festuca microstachys Nutt.
398. Festuca minutiflora Rydb.
399. Festuca × miscella Darbysh.
400. Festuca modesta Steud.
401. Festuca molokaiensis Soreng, P.M.Peterson & Catalán
402. Festuca mongolica (S.R.Liou & Ma) Y.Z.Zhao
403. Festuca monguensis Stancík
404. Festuca monticola Phil.
405. Festuca morisiana Parl.
406. Festuca muelleri Vickery
407. Festuca multinodis Petrie & Hack.
408. Festuca muralis Kunth
409. Festuca musbelica (Reverd.) Ikonn.
410. Festuca myuros L.
411. Festuca nandadevica Hajra
412. Festuca × napocae Prodan
413. Festuca nardifolia Griseb.
414. Festuca nemoralis Türpe
415. Festuca nepalica E.B.Alexeev
416. Festuca nereidaensis Stancík
417. Festuca nevadensis (Hack.) Markgr.-Dann.
418. Festuca nigrescens Lam.
419. Festuca nigriflora (Hitchc.) Negritto & Anton
420. Festuca niphobia (St.-Yves) Kerguélen
421. Festuca niphobioides Boeuf & Hardion
422. Festuca nitida Kit. ex Schult.
423. Festuca nitidula Stapf
424. Festuca norica (Hack.) K.Richt.
425. Festuca novae-zelandiae (Hack.) Cockayne
426. Festuca nubigena Jungh.
427. Festuca nuda (Hack. ex Takeda) Koba, H.Ikeda & Yonek.
428. Festuca numidica (Trab.) Romo
429. Festuca obturbans St.-Yves
430. Festuca occidentalis Hook.
431. Festuca occitanica (Litard.) Auquier & Kerguélen
432. Festuca ochroleuca Timb.-Lagr.
433. Festuca octoflora Walter
434. Festuca oelandica (Hack.) K.Richt.
435. Festuca × oenensis Vetter
436. Festuca olchonensis E.B.Alexeev
437. Festuca olympica J.Vetter
438. Festuca ophioliticola Kerguélen
439. Festuca orientalis (Boiss.) B.Fedtsch.
440. Festuca orizabensis E.B.Alexeev
441. Festuca oroana Stancík
442. Festuca × osswaldii Wein
443. Festuca ovina L.
444. Festuca oviniformis J.Vetter
445. Festuca × pachyphylla Degen ex Nyár.
446. Festuca pallens Host
447. Festuca pallescens (St.-Yves) Parodi
448. Festuca pallidula E.B.Alexeev
449. Festuca pamirica Tzvelev
450. Festuca pampeana Speg.
451. Festuca panciciana (Hack.) K.Richt.
452. Festuca panda Swallen
453. Festuca paphlagonica (St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
454. Festuca papuana Stapf
455. Festuca paradoxa Desv.
456. Festuca parciflora Swallen
457. Festuca parodiana (St.-Yves) Nicora
458. Festuca parodii St.-Yves
459. Festuca parvigluma Steud.
460. Festuca parvipaleata Jansen
461. Festuca parvipaniculata Hitchc.
462. Festuca patzkei Markgr.-Dann.
463. Festuca paucispicula Fuente & Sánchez Mata
464. Festuca paucispiculata Charit.
465. Festuca pectinella Delile
466. Festuca penzesii (Acht.) Markgr.-Dann.
467. Festuca peristerea (J.Vetter) Markgr.-Dann.
468. Festuca perrieri A.Camus
469. Festuca peruviana Infantes
470. Festuca petraea Guthnick ex Seub.
471. Festuca picoeuropeana Nava
472. Festuca picturata Pils
473. Festuca pilar-franceii Stancík
474. Festuca pilgeri St.-Yves
475. Festuca pilosella E.B.Alexeev
476. Festuca pindica (Markgr.-Dann.) Markgr.-Dann.
477. Festuca pinifolia (Hack. ex Boiss.) Bornm.
478. Festuca pirinica Horvat ex Markgr.-Dann.
479. Festuca plebeia Vickery
480. Festuca plicata Hack.
481. Festuca × pocutica Zapał.
482. Festuca pohleana E.B.Alexeev
483. Festuca polita (Halácsy) Tzvelev
484. Festuca poluninii E.B.Alexeev
485. Festuca polycolea Stapf
486. Festuca pontica Markgr.-Dann.
487. Festuca popovii E.B.Alexeev
488. Festuca porcii Hack.
489. Festuca portaliana Dobignard
490. Festuca potaninii Tzvelev & E.B.Alexeev
491. Festuca praetermissa Charit.
492. Festuca presliana Hitchc.
493. Festuca primae E.B.Alexeev
494. Festuca pringlei St.-Yves
495. Festuca probatovae E.B.Alexeev
496. Festuca procera Kunth
497. Festuca prolifera (Piper) Fernald
498. Festuca prudhommei Kerguélen & Plonka
499. Festuca psammophila (Hack. ex Čelak.) Fritsch
500. Festuca pseudodalmatica Krajina
501. Festuca pseudodura Steud.
502. Festuca pseudoeskia Boiss.
503. Festuca pseudosclerophylla Krivot.
504. Festuca pseudosulcata Drobow
505. Festuca pseudosupina J.Vetter
506. Festuca pseudotrichophylla Patzke
507. Festuca pseudovaginata Penksza
508. Festuca × pseudovaria J.Vetter
509. Festuca pseudovivipara (Pavlick) Pavlick
510. Festuca pubigluma Tovar
511. Festuca pubiglumis S.L.Lu
512. Festuca puccinellii Parl.
513. Festuca pulchella Schrad.
514. Festuca pulchra Schur
515. Festuca pulveridolomiana Höcker & T.Gregor
516. Festuca pumila Chaix
517. Festuca punctoria Sm.
518. Festuca purpurascens Banks & Sol. ex Hook.f.
519. Festuca pyrenaica Reut.
520. Festuca pyrogea Speg.
521. Festuca quadridentata Kunth
522. Festuca quadriflora Walter
523. Festuca queriana Litard.
524. Festuca raddei Enustsch. & Prob.
525. Festuca rechingeri E.B.Alexeev
526. Festuca renvoizei Stancík
527. Festuca reverchonii Hack.
528. Festuca richardsonii Hook.
529. Festuca rifana Litard. & Maire
530. Festuca rigescens (J.Presl) Kunth
531. Festuca rigidifolia Tovar
532. Festuca rigidiuscula E.B.Alexeev
533. Festuca riloensis (Hack. ex Hayek) Markgr.-Dann.
534. Festuca × ripensis M.Toman
535. Festuca rivularis Boiss.
536. Festuca robinsoniana (C.M.Peña) Röser & Tkach
537. Festuca roblensis Gonz.-Led.
538. Festuca robustifolia Markgr.-Dann.
539. Festuca roigii Dubc. & Ru´golo
540. Festuca rosei Piper
541. Festuca rothmaleri (Litard.) Markgr.-Dann.
542. Festuca rubra L.
543. Festuca rupicaprina (Hack.) A.Kern.
544. Festuca rupicola Heuff.
545. Festuca ruprechtii (Boiss.) V.I.Krecz. & Bobrov
546. Festuca × rurivaga Tretjakov
547. Festuca rzedowskiana E.B.Alexeev
548. Festuca sabalanica E.B.Alexeev
549. Festuca salzmannii (Boiss.) Boiss. ex Coss.
550. Festuca samensis Joch.Müll.
551. Festuca sanctae-martae Stancík
552. Festuca sanjappae Chandra Sek. & S.K.Srivast.
553. Festuca sardoa (Hack.) K.Richt.
554. Festuca saurica E.B.Alexeev
555. Festuca × savulescui Prodan
556. Festuca saxatilis Schur
557. Festuca saximontana Rydb.
558. Festuca scabra Vahl
559. Festuca scabriculmis (Hack.) K.Richt.
560. Festuca scabrifolia Renvoize
561. Festuca scariosa (Lag.) Pau
562. Festuca schischkinii Krivot.
563. Festuca scholziana Domina & El Mokni
564. Festuca sclerophylla Boiss. ex Bisch.
565. Festuca serana Markgr.-Dann.
566. Festuca setifolia Steud. ex Griseb.
567. Festuca sibirica Hack. ex Boiss.
568. Festuca sicula C.Presl
569. Festuca sikkimensis E.B.Alexeev
570. Festuca simensis Hochst. ex A.Rich.
571. Festuca simlensis (Stapf) E.B.Alexeev
572. Festuca simpliciuscula (Hack.) E.B.Alexeev
573. Festuca sinensis Keng ex E.B.Alexeev
574. Festuca sinomutica Xiang Chen & S.M.Phillips
575. Festuca sipylea (Hack.) Markgr.-Dann.
576. Festuca × sjuzevii Kulikov
577. Festuca skrjabinii E.B.Alexeev
578. Festuca skvortsovii E.B.Alexeev
579. Festuca sodiroana Hack. ex E.B.Alekseev
580. Festuca sommieri Litard.
581. Festuca soratana E.B.Alexeev
582. Festuca sororia Piper
583. Festuca × soshensis Tretjakov
584. Festuca soukupii Stancík
585. Festuca spectabilis Bertol.
586. Festuca spiralifibrosa Vetter
587. Festuca staroplaninica Velchev
588. Festuca stebeckii Renvoize
589. Festuca steinbachii E.B.Alexeev
590. Festuca stenantha (Hack.) K.Richt.
591. Festuca stojanovii (Acht.) Foggi & Petrova
592. Festuca stricta Host
593. Festuca subalpina D.M.Chang & Skvortsov
594. Festuca subantarctica Parodi
595. Festuca subhirtella (Krajina ex Domin) M.Toman
596. Festuca subpinicola Charit.
597. Festuca subulata Trin.
598. Festuca subuliflora Scribn.
599. Festuca subulifolia Benth.
600. Festuca subverticillata (Pers.) E.B.Alexeev
601. Festuca sudanensis E.B.Alexeev
602. Festuca sumapana Stancík
603. Festuca sumatrana Jansen
604. Festuca summilusitana Franco & Rocha Afonso
605. Festuca superba Parodi ex Türpe
606. Festuca swallenii E.B.Alexeev
607. Festuca talamancensis Davidse
608. Festuca tancitaroensis Gonz.-Led. & S.D.Koch
609. Festuca tarmensis Pilg.
610. Festuca tatrae (Czakó) Degen
611. Festuca taurica (Hack.) A.Kern. ex Hack.
612. Festuca tectoria St.-Yves
613. Festuca teneriffae Roth
614. Festuca tenuissima Charit.
615. Festuca thracica (Acht.) Markgr.-Dann.
616. Festuca thurberi Vasey
617. Festuca tibetica (Stapf) E.B.Alexeev
618. Festuca ticinensis (Markgr.-Dann.) Markgr.-Dann.
619. Festuca toboliensis Charit.
620. Festuca toca Stancík
621. Festuca tolucensis Kunth
622. Festuca tovarensis Stancík & P.M.Peterson
623. Festuca trabutii E.B.Alexeev
624. Festuca trachyphylla (Hack.) Hack.
625. Festuca transcaucasica (St.-Yves) Tzvelev
626. Festuca trichophylla (Ducros ex Gaudin) K.Richt.
627. Festuca trichovagina F.Z.Li
628. Festuca tristis Krylov & Ivanitzk.
629. Festuca trollii E.B.Alexeev
630. Festuca tschatkalica E.B.Alexeev
631. Festuca tschujensis Reverd.
632. Festuca turimiquirensis Stancík & P.M.Peterson
633. Festuca tzvelevii E.B.Alexeev
634. Festuca ulochaeta Steud.
635. Festuca ultramafica Connor
636. Festuca undata Stapf
637. Festuca unicicaulina Charit.
638. Festuca uninodis Hack. ex Stuck.
639. Festuca uralensis (Tzvelev) E.B.Alexeev
640. Festuca urubambana Stancík
641. Festuca ustulata (Hack. ex St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
642. Festuca vaginalis (Benth.) Laegaard
643. Festuca vaginata Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd.
644. Festuca valdesii Gonz.-Led. & S.D.Koch
645. Festuca valentina (St.-Yves) Markgr.-Dann.
646. Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin
647. Festuca valida (R.Uechtr.) Pénzes
648. Festuca vandovii Denchev
649. Festuca varia Haenke
650. Festuca vasconcensis (Markgr.-Dann.) Auquier & Kerguélen
651. Festuca venezuelana Stancík
652. Festuca ventanicola Speg.
653. Festuca venusta St.-Yves
654. Festuca versicolor Tausch
655. Festuca versuta Beal
656. Festuca vettonica Fuente, Ortúñez & Ferrero Lom.
657. Festuca vierhapperi Hand.-Mazz.
658. Festuca × vihorlatica Májovský
659. Festuca violacea Ser. ex Gaudin
660. Festuca viridula Vasey
661. Festuca vivipara (L.) Sm.
662. Festuca viviparoidea Krajina ex Pavlick
663. Festuca vizzavonae Ronniger
664. Festuca vulpioides Steud.
665. Festuca wagneri (Degen, Thaisz & Flatt) Krajina
666. Festuca wallichiana E.B.Alexeev
667. Festuca washingtonica E.B.Alexeev
668. Festuca werdermannii St.-Yves
669. Festuca × wettsteinii Vetter
670. Festuca willdenowiana Schult. & Schult.f.
671. Festuca wolgensis P.A.Smirn.
672. Festuca woodii Stancík
673. Festuca xanthina Roem. & Schult.
674. Festuca xenophontis Markgr.-Dann.
675. Festuca yalaensis Joch.Müll. & Catalán
676. Festuca yemenensis E.B.Alexeev
677. Festuca yulungschanica E.B.Alexeev
678. Festuca yunnanensis St.-Yves
679. Festuca ziganensis Markgr.-Dann.
680. Festuca × zobelii Wein

The Importance of Fescue in the World

Beyond their ecological and agricultural significance, fescues also have a cultural and historical connection to humans. For centuries, they have been used for thatching roofs, weaving baskets, and even making musical instruments. In some cultures, fescues have symbolic meaning, representing resilience, abundance, and connection to the earth.

In our modern world, fescues continue to play an important role. They are used in landscaping, erosion control, and even in green roof technology. Researchers are also exploring the potential of fescues in bioremediation, using them to clean up contaminated soils.

My Ongoing Exploration

My journey with fescues is far from over. I continue to be amazed by their diversity, adaptability, and ecological importance. Whether I’m hiking through a meadow, strolling through a park, or simply admiring the lawn in my backyard, I always take a moment to appreciate these remarkable grasses.

I encourage you to do the same. Take a closer look at the fescues around you. Observe their subtle beauty, their resilience, and their quiet contribution to the world. You might be surprised by what you discover.