GRAMINACE^E. 447 



free. Glumes unequal, mostly keeled. Palese 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 812 inches high. Leaves 

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



Wall Fescue-grass. 



2. F. tenella Willd. : culm filiform ; leaves setaceous ; panicle simple, 

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

 the subulate flowers. F. bromoides Mick. 



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

 6 12 inches high, geniculate at base. Leaves linear, short. Panicle 2 4 

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



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

 ceous ; panicle somewhat contracted, subsecund ; spikelets oblong, 5 6- 

 flowered, nearly terete ; flowers with short awns. 



Fields and pastures. N. Eng. and N. Y. to Car. June. 1\.. Culm 1218 

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

 cle 2 3 inches 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, spreading ; spikelets somewhat terete ; flowers longer 

 than their awns. 



Dry soils. Penn. Muhl. June. %. Root extensively creeping. Culm 

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

 preceding chiefly in its creeping root. Introduced ? 



Creeping Fescue-grass. 



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

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

 dric, acuminate or mucronate. 



Wet meadows. N. Y. and Mass, to Car. June. Ij.. 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 natural- 

 ized. Tall Fescue-grass. 



G. 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. 

 7J-. Culm2 3 feet high. Leaves broad-linear, nerved, smooth, rough on the 

 margin. Panicle 4 8 inches long, somewhat secund. Introduced, but exten- 

 sively naturalized. It is said to be a much more valuable grass than tbe 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. 



