Introductory
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



ABBREVIATION : 
VULMIC

SYNONYMS : 
   Festuca microstachys Nutt.
   Vulpia pacifica (Piper) Rydb.
   Vulpia arida (Elmer) Henrard
   Vulpia reflexa (Buckley) Rydb.


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   VUMI
   VUMIC
   VUMIC2
   VUMIP


COMMON NAMES : 
   small fescue
   Nutall's fescue


TAXONOMY : 
The fully documented scientific species name of small fescue is Vulpia
microstachys (Nutt.) Benth.  Many varieties are recognized [18,19]:

      Vulpia microstachys var. microstachys
      Vulpia microstachys var. pauciflora (Beal) Lonard & Gould
      Vulpia microstachys var. ciliata (Beal) Lonard & Gould 
      Vulpia microstachys var. confusa (Piper) Lonard & Gould 
 
The annual fescues, described as only weakly distinguished from
perennial fescues, were previously placed in the subgenus Vulpia within
the genus Festuca.  Most American researchers now follow European
workers in giving the annual fescues generic status [4].


LIFE FORM : 
Graminoid

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 
NO-ENTRY


COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
D. Tirmenstein, February 1987



LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
D. Tirmenstein, January 1988


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
NO-ENTRY

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Small fescue occurs from southern British Columbia through Washington
and parts of Montana southward to New Mexico and Baja California [4,9].
Distribution by variety is as follows [12,13]:

V. m. var. ciliata - central Washington and Oregon south through California to
                     Arizona and Mexico
V. m. var. confusa - southern Washington to California
V. m. var. pauciflora - British Columbia and Montana south to Arizona
                        and Mexico
V. m. var. microstachys - British Columbia, Washington, Oregon to western
                          Nevada, southern California and Mexico
                


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES29  Sagebrush
   FRES42  Annual grasslands


STATES : 
     AZ  CA  ID  MT  NV  NM  OR  WA  UT  BC
     MEXICO


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     CHIS  DEVA  JODA  JOTR  LAVO  LAME
     MORA  NOCA  REDW  SAGU  SAMO  WHIS
     ZION


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
    1  Northern Pacific Border
    2  Cascade Mountains
    3  Southern Pacific Border
    4  Sierra Mountains
    5  Columbia Plateau
    6  Upper Basin and Range
    7  Lower Basin and Range
    8  Northern Rocky Mountains


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K038  Great Basin sagebrush
   K055  Sagebrush steppe
   K048  California steppe


SAF COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
NO-ENTRY

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Most annual fescues have little forage value [10].  Small fescue is
relatively unpalatable and is increases in response to grazing [5,16].


PALATABILITY : 
Small fescue is relatively unpalatable to most species of wildlife and
livestock.


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
Small fescue provides only minimal cover for most species of wildlife.


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Grazing results in a reduction of perennial grasses and an increase of
small fescue [5,6].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Small fescue is a weedy, native, annual, with erect or geniculate culms
growing from 5.9 to 13.8 inches in height (1.5 dm-3.5 dm) [4].  The
often purplish-tinged spikelets or branches of inflorescences are three-
to five-flowered, and glumes are glabrous [4,13]. 


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Therophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Small fescue, an annual, reproduces by seed which drops to the ground at
maturity.


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Small fescue occurs on dry to moderately moist, disturbed sites [4].  It
codominates with annual hairgrass (Deschampsia danthonioides) and hairy
brome (Bromus commutatus) on many Oregon bluegrass (Poa spp.) scabland
sites [16].  Vulpia microstachys var. pauciflora grows well on sandy,
disturbed sites, whereas V. m. var. microstachys occurs most commonly in
loose soil on open slopes, and along ditches and roadways [13].  Vulpia
microstachys var. ciliata grows on loose sandy soil of forest openings
[13].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Although small fescue is present in several climax communities, it is
most abundant on early seral sites.  In threetip sagebrush, (Artemisia
tripartita)-Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) communities of Washington
and Oregon, small fescue increases in response to disturbance along with
cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), and plantain (Plantago spp.), while
perennial grasses decrease [6].  Following disturbance in Washington
steppe communities, small fescue becomes increasingly abundant as
perennial grasses decline [5].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Small fescue begins growth in the spring and matures earlier than
associated perennial grasses.

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
There is little specific information on the adaptations of small fescue
to fire; other annual fescues generally increase in abundance after fire
[2].  Small fescue reoccupies a site through seed.  In many areas,
annual fescues mature early and drop their seeds before most wildfires
occur [17].  Seeds are apparently undamaged by fire when buried in the
soil, and late season fires probably have very little effect on small
fescue.

Recovery is rapid where viable annual fescue seeds remain buried in the
soil, with an abundance of seedlings growing to maturity during the
first year after the burn [3].  Small fescue generally increases in
response to heavy grazing and other types of disturbance [5,6], and it
is likely that fire creates an environment favorable to the germination
and growth of this species.


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Little is known about the specific effects of fire on small fescue.  The
dry foliage of annual grasses is typically consumed and the plant killed
by fire.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Reestablishment of a site is through seed.  Seeds buried in the soil can
probably survive most fires.  Where seeds do survive fire, recovery is
rapid, with numerous seedlings germinating during the year after the
burn.  The relationship between fire intensity and severity, and seed
surviviorship has apparently not been examined.  Potential differences
in plant response according to season of burn are also unknown.



DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue 



REFERENCES : 

 .  Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
       reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
       associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
       U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. 
       [434]

 .  Cave, George H.; Patten, Duncan T. 1984. Short-term vegetation responses
       to fire in the upper Sonoran Desert. Journal of Range Management. 37(6):
       491-496.  [610]

 .  Cline, J. F.; Uresk, D. W.; Rickard, W. H. 1977. Plants and soil of a
       sagebrush community on the Hanford Reservation. Northwest Science.
       51(1): 60-70.  [653]

 .  Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Arthur H.; Holmgren, Noel H.; [and others].
       1977. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West,
       U.S.A. Vol. 6. The Monocotyledons. New York: Columbia University Press.
       584 p.  [719]

 .  Daubenmire, R. 1970. Steppe vegetation of Washington. Technical Bulletin
       62. Pullman, WA: Washington State University, College of Agriculture,
       Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. 131 p.  [733]

 .  Franklin, Jerry F.; Dyrness, C. T. 1973. Natural vegetation of Oregon
       and Washington. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-8. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range
       Experiment Station. 417 p.  [961]

 .  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

 .  Hironaka, M.; Fosberg, M. A.; Winward, A. H. 1983. Sagebrush-grass
       habitat types of southern Idaho. Bulletin Number 35. Moscow, ID:
       University of Idaho, Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 44
       p.  [1152]

 .  Hitchcock, A. S. 1951. Manual of the grasses of the United States. Misc.
       Publ. No. 200. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
       Agricultural Research Administration. 1051 p. [2nd edition revised by
       Agnes Chase in two volumes. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.].  [1165]

.  Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur; Ownbey, Marion. 1969. Vascular
       plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 1: Vascular cryptograms,
       gymnosperms, and monocotyledons. Seattle, WA: University of Washington
       Press. 914 p.  [1169]

.  Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
       of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
       American Geographical Society. 77 p.  [1384]

.  Lonard, Robert Irvin. 1970. A biosystematic study of the genus Vulpia
       (Gramineae). College Station, TX: Texas A&M University. 154 p.
       Dissertation.  [3827]

.  Lonard, Robert I.; Gould, Frank W. 1974. The North American species of
       Vulpia (Gramineae). Madrono. 22(5): 217-280.  [3826]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
       National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
       SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p.  [11573]

.  Volland, Leonard A. 1985. Plant associations of the central Oregon
       Pumice Zone. Rt-ECOL-104-1985. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region. 138 p.  [7341]

.  Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A.; Major, J. 1972. Alien plants in the
       Great Basin. Journal of Range Management. 25: 194-201.  [2674]

.  Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of
       California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. 
       [21992]

.  Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry
       C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo,
       UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p.  [2944]

.  Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
       Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
       Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p.  [20090]

Related categories for Species: Vulpia microstachys | Small Fescue