11 



C. Panicles contracted; spikelets 8-12 mm long, 6-8-flowered 

 .- F. pratensis 



B. Blades involute, less than 3 mm wide 



D. Awns lacking or rarely present, then minute, up to 0.6 

 mm long F. capillata 



D. Awns present (0.5-) 1-2 mm long 



E. Sheaths closed in younger leaves; sheaths of basal 

 leaves shredding into fibers, red or purplish ...F. rubra 



E. Sheaths open nearly whole length in younger leaves; 

 sheaths of basal leaves not readily shredding, drab 

 F. ovina 



1. Festuca ovina L. (figure 8) Sheep's Fescue 



Perennial. Old fields and roadsides throughout the state; frequent. 

 Introduced from Europe. 



Coarser plants have been segregated as var. duriuscula (L.) W.D. J. 

 Koch and our material appears to belong to this taxon. 



2. Festuca capillata Lam. Hair Fescue 



Perennial. Old fields and roadsides throughout the state; frequent. 

 Introduced from Europe but believed to be native in Newfoundland 

 and Nova Scotia (Fernald, 1950) and plants in Franconia at Eagle Cliff 

 station may be also. 



3. Festuca rubra L. Red Fescue 



Perennial. Fields, roadsides swales, shores of coast and estuaries; 

 common throughout N.H. Coastal populations native. Inland plants 

 introduced from Eurasia. 



Our native coastal plants belong to var. rubra. Variety juncea, with 

 stiffish whitened leaves, may be distinct and has been collected from 

 Star Island, Isles of Shoals. Numerous variants of this polymorphic 

 species have been named and recognition of infraspecific taxa among 

 non-native populations is further complicated by introductions of 

 various cultivars which have spread. 



4. F. prolifera (Piper) Fern, (figure 9) Prolific Fescue 



Perennial. Moist alpine areas of Mt. Washington, Great Gulf and 

 formerly in Alpine Garden. Rare. 



This species is treated by some authors as F. rubra var. prolifera 

 Piper. 



5. F. pratensis Hudson (figure 11) Tall Fescue 



Perennial. Fields and roadsides. Formerly planted as a forage grass. 

 Introduced from Europe. (F. elatior L.) 



6. F. obtusa Biehler. (figure 10) 



Perennial. Rich woods, especially alluvial woods. Occasional along 

 major rivers, rare elsewhere. 



VULPIA Six-weeks-grass 



A small genus resembling Festuca but differing in its annual habit. The 

 genus is treated by some authors in Festuca as subgenus Vulpia (K. C. 

 Gmel.) Hack. 



