CH. vn] Botanical Description of Species 



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palea five-ribbed, hairy or velvety, taper-pointed, the central 

 nerve ending in a spur-like point. Inner palea with delicately 

 fringed marginal ribs, and a bifid apex. Rachilla cylindrical, 

 stout and hairy. (Fig. 93.) 



Fig. 100. Tuft of Festuca ovina, L. var. 



vulgaris Koch. About ^ nat. size. 

 To the right are shown two panicles in 

 the viviparous condition. 



Fig. 101. Tuft of Festuca 

 ovina, L. var. tenuifolia 

 Sibthorp. About nat. 

 size. 



Festuca. All the British species of this genus have split 

 sheaths, more or less spreading panicles, 3 to 12 flowered spikelets, 

 and the outer palea terminates in an awn or awn-point (except in 

 F. ovina tenuifolia). 



Festuca elatior, L., sub-sp. arundinacea, Hackel. (Tall Fescue.) 

 (Fig. 94.) See also p. 147. Frequent throughout Britain. 



A deeply-rooted glabrous perennial, forming, rather coarse 



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