Culms 16–37 cm, usually 2–3 times the height of the vegetative shoot leaves, usually sparsely scabrous or pubescent below the inflorescence. Outer vegetative shoot sheaths brownish on the lower 1/2; blades smooth or scabrous on the abaxial surfaces, ribs on the adaxial surfaces with hairs to 0.1 mm; abaxial sclerenchyma in 5–7 narrow strands. Lemmas often scabrous on the distal 1/2.
Festuca saximontana var. robertsiana grows in subalpine or lower alpine habitats. It has only been reported from British Columbia.