Festuca kingii
Spike fescue
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Festuca kingii (Spike fescue) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by . Distinguished by dioecious nature, glaucous leaves, awnless spikelets.
Spike fescue is a California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, San Bernardino Mountains, and Great Basin regions in dry, sandy places ranging from sagebrush plains to subalpine forest at elevations above 1,550 meters. Flowering from June to August, this grass produces small greenish-white spikelets in dense, tufted clusters. Growing 30 to 80 centimeters tall with distinctive tufted stems and conspicuous nodes, it forms dense clumps with short rhizomes. Its leaf blades are stiffly erect, glaucous green, 15 to 30 centimeters long and 1.5 to 7 millimeters wide, with leaf sheaths that turn red-brown with age. The grass produces plump fruits with a minute beak, characteristic of its distinctive growth form.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species. Distinguished by dioecious nature, glaucous leaves, awnless spikelets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, sandy places, sagebrush plains to subalpine forest
Elevation: > 1550 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo
Outside California: to Oregon, New Brunswick
Bloom period
Festuca kingii blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Bromus: Festuca sheaths split open; Bromus sheaths stay closed around the stem.; vs Lolium: Festuca spikelets branch from multiple points; Lolium spikelets sit flat against one side of stem.; vs Aciphylla: Festuca is a grass with thin blade leaves; Aciphylla has rigid spine-tipped tufts.; vs Poa: Festuca lemmas have 5+ veins; Poa lemmas show only 3-5 veins with cobwebby hairs at base.; vs Muhlenbergia: Festuca has multi-flowered chunky spikelets; Muhlenbergia has delicate single-flowered tiny spikelets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Festuca kingii native to California?
Yes. Festuca kingii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Festuca kingii bloom?
Festuca kingii blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Festuca kingii grow?
Festuca kingii occurs in San Bernardino, Mono, Inyo, at elevations of > 1550 m.
What plant family does Festuca kingii belong to?
Festuca kingii is in the Poaceae family, genus Festuca.
What habitat does Festuca kingii grow in?
Festuca kingii grows in Dry, sandy places, sagebrush plains to subalpine forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.