GRAMINACEiE. 447 



free. Glimies unequal, mostly keeled. Paleae herbaceous; 

 the lower somewhat rounded on the back, acute, mucronate or 

 awned at the summit. Stigmas simply plumose. Caryopsis 

 compressed, somewhat adhering to the upper palea. — Panicle 

 usually compound. 



1. F. Myurus Linn.: culm leafy in the upper part; panicle secund, 

 elongated, contracted ; spikelets about 4-flowered ; flowers shorter than the 

 awn, hairy, monandrous. 



Dry fields. N. J. to Geor. June. (^.—Culm 8—12 inches high. Leaves 

 linear, setaceous. Panicle 4 or 5 inches long. Introduced ? 



Wall Fescue-grass. 



2. F. tcTiella Willd. : culm fiUform ; leaves setaceous ; panicle simple, 

 spike-form, rather secund; spikelets about 7-flowered ; awns shorter than 

 the subulate flowers. F. bromoldcs Mich. 



Sandy fields. N. Y. and Mass. to Car. June. (^).— Culms often clustered, 

 6—12 inches high, geniculate at base. Leaves linear, short. Panicle 2—1 

 inches long, the spikelets brownish when old. Slender Fescue- grass. 



3. F. duriuscula Linn. : root fibrous ; culm leaves -flat, radical ones setn- 

 ceous ; panicle somewhat contracted, subsecund ; spikelets oblong, 5 — C- 

 flowered, nearly terete ; flowers with short awns. 



Fields and pastures. N. Eng. and N. Y. to Car. June. Q^.—Cuhn 12—18 

 inches high, erect, slender. Leaves smooth, those of the culm involute. Pani- 

 cle 2— 3inches long, with the branches mostly in pairs. Probably introduced 

 from Europe. Hard Fescue-grass. 



4. F. rubra Linn. : root creeping ; leaves pubescent on the upper side ; 

 panicle secund, erect, #preading ; spikelets somewhat terete ; flowers longer 

 than their awns. 



Dry soils. Penn. Muhl. June. %.—Root extensively creeping. Cidm 

 18 inches high, erect. Leaves long. Panicle contracted. Dififers from the 

 preceding chiefly in its creeping root. Introduced 1 



Creeping Fescue-grass. 



5. F. elatior Linn. : root creeping ; panicle much branched, rather loose 

 Cmd spreading ; spikelets ovate-lanceolate, 4 — 6-flowered ; flowers cylin- 

 dric, acuminate or mucronate. 



Wet meadows. N. Y. and Mass. to Car. . June. %. — Culm 3 — 5 feet high. 

 Leaves broad-linear, 9 — 15 inches long. Panicle 6 — 8 or 10 inches long, mostly 

 nodding, the branches usually in pairs. Introduced, but extensively naUaral- 

 ized. Tall Fescue-grass. 



6. F. pratensis Huds. : root fibrous ; leaves linear ; panicle spreading, 

 branched, erect; spikelets oblong or linear-lanceolate, many-flowered; 

 flowers cylindric, awnless ; outer palea acute. • 



Meadows and fields. N. Y. and Mass. to Del. W. to Ohio. June, July. 

 'Zj.. — Culm 2 — 3 feet high. Leaves broad-linear, nerved, smooth, rough on the 

 margin. Panicle i — 8 inches long, somewliat secund. Introduced, but exten- 

 sively naturalized. It is said to be a much more valuable grass than the pre- 

 ceding. Meadow Fescue-grass. 



7. F. nutans Willd.: panicle slender, diffuse, at length nodding ; branches 

 long, in pairs, naked below ; spikelets lance-ovate, 2— 5-flowered ; flowers 

 smooth, awnless, very obscurely nerved. 



