Rough fescue (Festuca campestris) is an important species in the grasslands around Kamloops. It is a dominant bunchgrass particularly in middle and upper-elevation grasslands that have only been lightly grazed. It forms “bunches” that are evenly distributed across the landscape.

It differs from bluebunch wheatgrass, the other dominant bunchgrass in the Kamloops area, in that the spikelets (that contain the developing grass seeds) are arranged in an open inflorescence where individual spikelets are at the ends of small branches unlike the more spike-like clusters in bluebunch wheatgrass.

Rough fescue

bluebunch wheatgrass

Healthy plants can form large “bunches” that dominate the landscape.

The closely related species Idaho fescue has never been collected in the Kamloops area. It is generally smaller in size, has more blueish green foliage, and often lacks the reddish leaf bases of rough fescue.

Rough fescue is an important forage species for livestock but can easily be eliminated and replaced by Kentucky bluegrass from overgrazing.