272 



GRAMINEAE. 



VOL. I. 



g. Festuca elatior L. Tall or Meadow Fescue-grass. Fig. 656. 



Festuca elatior L. Sp. PI. 75. 1753. 



Festuca pratensis Huds. Fl. Angl. 37. 1762. 



F. elatior var. pratensis A. Gray, Man. Ed. 5, 634. 1867. 



Culms 2-5 tall, erect, simple, smooth and glabrous. 

 Sheaths shorter than the internodes ; ligule very short ; 

 blades 4'-: 5' long, 2" -4" wide, flat, smooth beneath, 

 more or less rough above ; panicle 4'-i4' in length, often 

 nodding at the top, simple to very compound, the 

 branches ascending or erect, 2'-8' long; spikelets 5-9- 

 flowered, 4! "-6" long; empty scales acute, the first 

 i-3-nerved, the second 3-s-nerved ; flowering scales 

 acute or short-pointed, smooth and glabrous, 2j"~3" 

 long, indistinctly 5-nerved. 



In fields and waste places throughout the United States 

 and southern Canada. Naturalized from Europe and culti- 

 vated for hay. Variable. Dover-grass, Randall or Ever- 

 green-grass. Frisky (Meadow) -grass. July- Aug. 



10. Festuca Shortii Kunth. Short's Fescue-grass. Fig. 657. 



Festuca Shortii Kunth; Wood, Class-book 794. 1861. 

 Festuca nutans var. palustris Wood, Bot. & Fl. 399. 1873. 



Culms 2-4 tall, erect, simple, smooth and glabrous. 

 Sheaths much shorter than the internodes; ligule very 

 short; blades 5'-io' long, i"-3" wide, flat, smooth be- 

 neath, rough above; panicle tf-f in length, open, the 

 branches spreading or ascending, rarely erect, spikelet- 

 bearing from the middle or below, the lower ii'-3i' 

 long; spikelets broadly obovate, when mature, 3-6-flow- 

 ered, 2$"-3" long; empty scales acute, unequal, scabrous 

 on the nerves, the first i-3-nerved, the second 3-nerved; 

 flowering scales about 2" long, smooth, obtuse or acutish, 

 faintly nerved. 



In woods and thickets, Pennsylvania to Iowa, south to 

 Georgia and Texas. July-Aug. 



ii. Festuca nutans Willd. Nodding Fescue- 

 grass. Fig. 658. 



Festuca nutans Willd. Enum. i : 116. 1809. 



Culms 2-3 tall, erect, simple, slender, glabrous or 

 sometimes pubescent. Sheaths much shorter than the 

 internodes, glabrous or pubescent; ligule very short; 

 nodes black; blades 4'-i2' long, 2" -3" wide, rather 

 dark green, flat, smooth beneath, rough above ; pan- 

 icle 4'-o/ in length, its branches at first erect, the lower 

 2*'-5' long, finally spreading and nodding, spikelet- 

 bearing only at the ends ; spikelets lanceolate, 3-5- 

 flowered, 2i>"-3" long; empty scales acute, scabrous 

 on the keel, the first i-nerved, shorter than the 3-nerved 

 second ; flowering scales about 2" long, smooth, acute, 

 very faintly nerved. 



In rocky woods, Nova Scotia to Minnesota, south to 

 Florida and Texas. Ascends to 2300 ft. in Virginia. 

 June-Aug. 



