50 GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 



commonly in moist meadows and around farm houses. Its 

 panicle is contracted, erect, or somewhat drooping, with short 

 branches, spreading in all directions ; spikelets crowded, with 

 five to ten flowers, rather remote, oblong, lanceolate ; leaves 

 flatish, linear, acute ; stems two to four feet high, root perennial, 

 fibrous, somewhat creeping and forming large tufts. Fig. 42 

 shows this plant at the time of flowering, and Fig. 43 a magni- 

 fied spikelet of the same. Flowers in June and July. 



It is a nutritive and productive grass, growing naturally in 

 shady woods and moist, stiff soils. Cattle are very fond of it. 

 Said by some to be identical with the meadow fescue. 



The Hard Fescue Grass, (^festuca duriuscula,') is also found 

 to some extent, though not so commonly as the meadow fescue. 

 It is by some regarded as a variety of the sheep's fescue, taller 

 and with a panicle more open, leaves flat, and spikelets four 

 to eight flowered. It grows from one to two feet high. Flow- 

 ers in June, in pastures and waste grounds. 



The Red Fescue, (^festuca rubra,^ by some regarded as only 

 a variety of the preceding, is one of the largest of the varieties 

 of fescue. Its leaves arc broadish, flat, root extensively creep- 

 ing, and throwing out lateral shoots. Found in dry pastures 

 near the sea shore, in sandy soils. It is a grass of better 

 quality than some of the other varieties, but never cultivated 

 here as an agricultural product. The color of its leaves is some- 

 what more grayish than the preceding and often tinged with 

 red. It is shown in Fig. 44, while its spikelet is seen magnified 

 in Fig. 45. 



The Slender Spiked Fescue, (fcstuca loliacea,') is a species 

 nearly allied to the tall fescue and possesses much the same 

 qualities. It grows naturally in moist, rich meadows, forming 

 a good permanent pasture grass, but as it is met with only very 

 rarely, if ever, among American grasses, and is of no value for 

 cultivation, it scarcely deserves a more extended notice. Fig. 

 4G, a specimen of this plant in blossom. Fig. 47, a magnified 

 flower of it. 



The Nodding Fescue, (^festuca mdans,') is also rarely met 

 with in rocky woods, and needs only to be mentioned. 



Crested Dog's Tail, (cynosurus cristatus .') (Fig. 48.) This 

 grass is rarely found here, aiid scarcely needs description. 

 Its spikes are simple, linear, spikelets awnless, stems one foot 



