Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Alberta and Montana.
Habitat: Subalpine slopes, rock slides, and meadows to well above timberline.
Flowers: June-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind
Tufted perennial, forming small clumps, the culms 4-8 dm. tall.
Sheaths open, glabrous to pubescent, very strongly veined; ligules 0.5 mm. long, entire; blades flat, 1.5-2.5 mm. broad, finely puberulent above and glabrous beneath.
Inflorescence a somewhat-open panicle 6-15 cm. long; spikelets 3- to 7-flowered, the rachilla joints visible, 1-1.5 mm. long; first glume about 4 mm. long, 1-veined; second glume about 5 mm. long, 3-nerved; lemmas usually slightly scabrous, about 7 mm. long, acute, awnless or with an awn under 1 mm. long; paleas equal to the lemmas.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Festuca viridula in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Festuca viridula checklist entry
OregonFlora: Festuca viridula information
E-Flora BC: Festuca viridula atlas page
CalPhotos: Festuca viridula photos