Festuca edlundiae

Festuca edlundiae, commonly known as Edlund's fescue, is a native, perennial tufted grass found in Alaska, Canadian arctic islands, northern Greenland, far eastern arctic Russia and Svalbard.^[1] The specific name honours Doctor Sylvia Edlund, a Canadian botanist. It was first described by Susan Aiken, Laurie Consaul and Leonard Lefkovitch in 1995.^[2]

Festuca edlundiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Clade:	Commelinids
Order:	Poales
Family:	Poaceae
Subfamily:	Pooideae
Genus:	Festuca
Species:	F. edlundiae
Binomial name
Festuca edlundiae S.G.Aiken, Consaul & Lefk.

Description

It is closely related to Festuca brachyphylla. The plant is similar to boreal fescue (Festuca hyperborea) but has flag leaf (final leaf) blades that are 5 mm or longer and has larger spikelets. It grows in dense clumps without rhizomes.^[3]

Habitat

The plant grows in the High Arctic in fine-grained and calcareous soils.