Culms 60–120 cm, glabrous or pubescent for less than 5 mm below the nodes. Sheaths usually glabrous or scabrous, sometimes pubescent; collarsglabrous or indistinctly pubescent; ligules (1)1.5–5 mm, sometimes ciliate, abaxial surfaces pubescent; blades 3–6.5 mm wide, conduplicate or flat, ribs 7–15(17), usually more than 1/2 as deep as the blade thickness, abaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent proximally, adaxial surfaces pubescent; abaxial sclerenchyma forming continuous bands; adaxial sclerenchyma present; girders usually formed at most veins. Inflorescences15–25 cm. Spikelets 8–12(17) mm, with (4)5–6(8) florets. Lemmas usually entire, sometimes minutely bidentate. 2n = unknown.
Festuca californica subsp. hitchcockiana is distinguished by its relatively long ligules. It is known only from Santa Clara and San Luis Obispo counties, California.