Plants loosely to densely ces-pitose, with short rhizomes. Culms 45–80 cm, erect or the bases decumbent, scabrous near the inflorescence. Sheathsclosed for less than 1/3 their length, glabrous or finely scabrous; collars glabrous; ligules 3–5(8) mm; blades 1–3 mm wide when flat, 0.6–1.2 mm in diameter when conduplicate, persistent, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth to sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins (5)7–9, ribs 5–9; abaxial sclerenchyma in strands opposite the veins, rarely a discontinuous band; adaxial sclerenchyma sometimes present; girders sometimes present at the major veins; pillars usually present if the girders not developed. Inflorescences 6–10(16) cm, contracted or loosely open, with 1–2(3) branches per node; branches erect or spreading, lower branches sometimes reflexed, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches. Spikelets 6–8.5 mm, with 2–3(4) florets. Glumes scabrous, acute; lower glumes 3–4(5.5) mm; upper glumes 3.5–5.5(6.5) mm; lemmas 4–6.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, smooth or sparsely scabrous towards the apices, unawned; paleas as long as to slightly longer than the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally; anthers 1.5–2.6 mm; ovary apices pubescent. 2n = unknown.
Festuca ligulata grows on moist, shady slopes in the mountains of western Texas and north-central Mexico. It is listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States.