Festuca saximontana var. purpusiana
Culms (5)8-20(25) cm, usually 2-3 times the height of the vegetative shoot leaves, usually glabrous below the inflorescence. Outer vegetative shoot sheaths mostly stramineous; blades smooth or scabrous on the abaxial surfaces, ribs on the adaxial surfaces with hairs shorter than 0.06 mm; abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7 narrow abaxial strands. Lemmas usually scabrous towards the apices and often along the margins.
Distribution
Wash., Utah, Alaska, Colo., Nev., Oreg., Calif., Alta., B.C., N.W.T., Yukon
Discussion
Festuca saximontana var. purpusiana grows in subalpine or lower alpine habitats. The distribution of this taxon is poorly known; it probably extends from Alaska south to northern California. It is also reported from the Chukchi Peninsula in eastern Russia (Tzvelev 1976).
Selected References
None.