156 TRTANDRIA. DIGYNIA. Festuca. 



Straw smooth. Leaves flat, broadish, very rough- Panicle 

 loose, but mostly pointing one way ; about 7 inches long. CaL 

 very unequal, from 5 to 8 florets in each. Bloss. inner valve not 

 fringed at the edge ; outer membranaceous at the edge. After 

 flowering, this thin membranaceous part turns brown and shrivels, 

 so that the midrib then naked and projecting resembles an awn. 

 Tall fescue. Festuca el at tor. /§ Sp. PL Reich. Boggy mea- 

 dows and sides of wet ditches. P. June, July.* 

 Mr. Curtis tells us that in a cultivated state it is nearly in- 

 capable of producing perfect seeds. On considering this faft, 

 together with what is recorded of the F. loliacea, it is probable 

 that this plant is a similar hybrid production ; the F. pratensis of 

 our botanists being the original stock, and as Mr. Afzelius 

 observed the real F. elatior of the Fl. Suecica. 



Var. 2. pratensis. Panicle slanting, pointing one way: spi- 

 kets awnless, nearly strap-shaped : leaves flat. Curt. 



Gram. pasc.-Curt.~Mus. rust. iv. 2~H* ox. viii. 2« 2- 

 Scheuch. 4- 6-Park. 1U6\ 8. 



CaL larger valve 3-ribbed, smaller 1 -ribbed. Bloss. smooth, 

 slightly ribbed. In F. fluitans the calyx valves are not ribbed, 

 whilst those of the blossom are very strongly so; just the reverse 

 is the case with the F. pratensis, so that they may at all times 

 readily be distinguished; but the differences betwixt the F. pra- 

 tensis, and the F. elatior are less obvious. Mr. Curtis observe* 

 that the panicle in the F* elatior has twice the number of spikets 

 that its branches are more compound, that it droops more at first, 

 that it is more equally spread ; that the whole plant is twice as 

 high, and the leaves twice as broad ; but he thinks the spikets 

 afford one of the most obvious distinctions, in the pratensis they 

 are somewhat flat, strap-shaped, and blunt ; in the elatior less 

 flatted, more ovate, and pointed. 



Festuca Fluitans pratensis, Hubs. Festuca pratensis. Curt. 

 Festuca elatior «. Sp. PI. F. elatior. Fl. Suec. Rich wet mea- 

 dows. P. June. 





> 



fluitans. 



lindrica], awnless. 



sitting, cy- 



Var. 1. fresh wsLter.-Curt.-Leers 8. 5-Schreb. 3./. 8rFl* 

 dan. 237 Stilling/. 10-/7. ox. viii. 3. l6-Ger. em. B- 

 1-7. B. ii. ±90-Mus. rust. iv. l.ti-C. B. th. W-Park. 

 12/5. S-Scheuch. 4. h-Mont. 35« 



Straw striking root at the joints. Leaves floating flat on 

 the water. Panicle very long, iss&ing from a long 2 -edged 



* It makes an excellent pasture, but requires a rich soil* Li**« 

 Horses, cows, sheep, and goats cat it. 





