This species is easily recognized in the field but herbarium material is difficult to determine. I have seen it growing in Posey County. I have herbarium material from Decatur County which I believe belongs here. In Posey County it grows in hard, white clay soil in low, open woodland with pin oak.

Much like no. 3 [Festuca subverticillata (Pers.) E. B. Alexeev], the culms usually stouter and more tufted, and the infl more freely branched; spikelets separated by short internodes, approximate and overlapping, (3)4-5(6)- fld, 5-8 נ4-6 mm; first glume 2.4-4.2 mm, the second elliptic-oblong, 3.1-5.2 mm; lemmas turgid, obtuse, 3.6-5.2 mm, soon diverging and exposing the rachilla; palea obtuse; anthers ca 1-1.5 mm. Moist or wet open woods and prairies; Pa. and Va. to S.C., w. to Io., Okla., and Tex. (F. nutans; F. shortii)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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