Loosely to densely tufted rhizomatous perennial; culms 15-90cm high, erect or spreading, slender and wiry. Leaf-blades folded-setaceous, those on the culm often opening out, up to 40cm long, smooth on the lower (outer) surface, green or greyish-green, with 7-11 quite separate ± equal sclerenchyma strands, 1 on the keel, 1 along each margin and 1 below each of the lateral nerves; ligule a narrow rim c. 0.5 mm long. Panicle lanceolate to oblong, 3-17cm long, erect or nodding, loose, open or eventually contracted, the branches smooth, scabrid or hairy. Spikelets 3-9-flowered, 5-14mm long (excluding the awns); lower glume 2-3.5mm long, 1-nerved; upper glume 3.5-5mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas narrowly lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate in side-view, 4-7.5 mm long, scaberulous towards the tip, glabrous or hairy on the back, with an awn (0.8-) 1.2-5 mm long; palea scabrid along the keels, anthers 2-3 mm long; ovary glabrous or very sparsely hairy.

Lower Taxa

• Festuca rubra subsp. arctica (Hack.) Govor.
• Festuca rubra subsp. clarkei (Stapf) St.-Yves
• Festuca rubra subsp. rubra

Related Synonym(s):

• Festuca cryophila Krecz. & Bobrov = Festuca rubra subsp. arctica (Hack.) Govor.
• Festuca rubra subsp. eu-rubra var. genuina subvar. arenaria f. arctica Hack. = Festuca rubra subsp. arctica (Hack.) Govor.
• Festuca rubra var. clarkei Stapf = Festuca rubra subsp. clarkei (Stapf) St.-Yves