Taxon: Festuca rubra L. subsp. rubra

Summary

Genus:

Festuca

Family:

Poaceae (alt. Gramineae)

Subfamily:

Pooideae

Tribe:

Poeae

Subtribe:

Loliinae

Nomen number:

300215

Verified:

01/08/2008 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

49 (44 active, 16 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Festuca rubra L. (432 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. arctica (Hack.) Govor. (22 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. commutata Markgr.-Dann. (51 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. densiuscula Hack. ex Piper (2 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. fallax (Thuill.) Nyman (6 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. litoralis (G. Mey.) Auquier (3 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. mediana (Pavlick) Pavlick (1 active accession[s])
Festuca rubra L. subsp. pruinosa (Hack.) Piper (0 active accession[s])

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Autonym(s)
Festuca rubra L. var. rubra

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Festuca glaucescens Hegetschw. & Heer
Festuca rubra L. subsp. glaucescens K. Richt.
Festuca rubra L. subsp. glaucodea Piper
Festuca rubra L. subsp. vulgaris Hayek
Festuca rubra L. unranked vulgaris Gaudin, nom. inval.
Festuca rubra L. var. glaucescens Hack.
Festuca rubra L. var. lanuginosa Mert. & W. D. J. Koch

No images

Links

Florets – Seed ID Workshop image, from Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State University

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aiken, S. G. et al. 1996-. Festuca of North America: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval.
Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Alexeev, E. 1979. Genus Festuca L. in Asia Media. Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 15:46.
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Duyvendak, R. et al. 1981. Delimitation of taxa and cultivars of red fescue (Festuca rubra L. sensu lato). Rasen Grünfl. Begrün. 3:60.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Common names

Language	Name	Alternate name	seq	Citation
English	red fescue		1	Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Chinese	zi yang mao	紫羊茅	2	Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
French	fétuque rouge		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	fétuque rouge traçante		2	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
German	Rotschwingel		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italian	festuca rossa		2	International Seed Testing Association. 1982. A Multilingual Glossary of Common Plant-Names 1. Field crops, grasses and vegetables, ed. 2.
Portuguese	festuca-encarnada		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	cañuela roja		2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	rödsvingel		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transcribed Korean	wanggimuiteol		2	Lee, Y. N. 1997. Flora of Korea.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Armenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Azerbaijan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation	Dagestan		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Caucasus	Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia	Ciscaucasia		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	China	China			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Japan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Eastern Asia	Korea
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kazakhstan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Kyrgyzstan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Tajikistan			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Mongolia	Mongolia			Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Russian Far East	Russian Federation-Far East	Far East		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia	Eastern Siberia		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Siberia	Russian Federation-Western Siberia	Western Siberia		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran			Alexeev, E. 1979. Genus Festuca L. in Asia Media. Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 15:44.
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Belarus			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Estonia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Russian Federation-European part	European part		Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
1	Native	Europe	Eastern Europe	Ukraine			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Austria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Belgium			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Hungary			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Netherlands			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Poland			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Middle Europe	Slovakia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Denmark			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Ireland			Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Norway			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Svalbard and Jan Mayen			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	Sweden			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Northern Europe	United Kingdom			Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Romania			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Slovenia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Northern America	Subarctic America	Greenland			FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
2	Cultivated					also cult.
4	Naturalized	Europe	Northern Europe	Iceland			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	New Brunswick		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Newfoundland and Labrador		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Nova Scotia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Prince Edward Island		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Colorado		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Idaho		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Oregon		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Washington		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia	n.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	California		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Nevada		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Utah		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Subarctic America	Canada	Northwest Territories		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Subarctic America	Canada	Yukon		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Subarctic America	United States	Alaska		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Alberta		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	British Columbia		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Manitoba		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
4	Naturalized	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Saskatchewan		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.

Native
Asia-Temperate

WESTERN ASIA: Iran
CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russian Federation [Dagestan]
SIBERIA: Russian Federation-Western Siberia [Western Siberia], Russian Federation-Eastern Siberia [Eastern Siberia]
MIDDLE ASIA: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
MONGOLIA: Mongolia
RUSSIAN FAR EAST: Russian Federation-Far East [Far East]
CHINA: China
EASTERN ASIA: Korea, Japan

Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Sweden
MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia
EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part], Belarus, Estonia, Ukraine
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France (incl. Corsica)

Northern America

SUBARCTIC AMERICA: Greenland

Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Europe

NORTHERN EUROPE: Iceland

Northern America

SUBARCTIC AMERICA: Canada [Northwest Territories, Yukon], United States [Alaska]
EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador]
WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Delaware, Georgia (n.), Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah]

Reference(s)

Alexeev, E. 1979. Genus Festuca L. in Asia Media. Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 15:44.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Sell, P. & G. Murrell. 1996-. Flora of Great Britain and Ireland.
Tzvelev, N. N. 1976. Zlaki SSSR
Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994-. Flora of China (English edition).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	erosion control		Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Environmental	lawn/turf		Alderson, J. & W. C. Sharp. 1995. Grass varieties in the United States, U.S.D.A. Agric. Handb. 170, rev. ed. CRC Press. Note: Revised version of AH 170
Weed	seed contaminant	potential	CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=300215. Accessed 10 May 2026.