2i8 GRAMINEAE. 



7. Festuca Shortii Kunth. Short's Fescue-grass. (Fig. 503.) 



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 gla- 

 brous. Sheaths much shorter than the internodes^ 

 ligule very short; leaves 5 / -io / long, i // -3 // wide, fiat, 

 smooth beneath, rough above; panicle 3 '-7' in length, 

 open, the branches spreading or ascending, rarely 

 erect, spikelet-bearing from the middle or below, the 

 lower \y 2 f -^/i' long; spikelets broadly obovate, when 

 mature, 3-6 flowered, 2^ // -3 // long; empty scales 

 acute, unequal, scabrous on the nerves, the first i- 

 3-nerved, the second 3-nerved; flowering scales about 

 2 X/ long, smooth, obtuse or acutish, faintly nerved. 



In woods and thickets, Pennsylvania (according to- 

 J Porter) and Illinois to Kansas, south to Mississippi and 

 Texas. July-Aug. 



8. Festuca nutans Willd. Nodding Fescue-grass. (Fig. 504.) 



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; leaves 4 / -i2 / long, 2 // -3 // 

 wide, rather dark green, flat, smooth beneath, 

 rough above; panicle 4 / -9 / in length, its branches 

 at first erect, the lower 2> / ~5 / long, finally spread- 

 ing and nodding, spikelet-bearing only at the ends; 

 spikelets lanceolate, 3-5-flowered, 2> // -3 // long; 

 empty scales acute, scabrous on the keel, the 

 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 Ontario and Ne- 

 braska, south to Florida and Texas. Ascends to 2300 

 ft. in Virginia. June-Aug. 



9. Festuca gigantea (I,.) Vill. Great Fescue- 

 grass. (Fig. 505.) 



Bromus giganteus L,. Sp. PI. 77. 1753. 

 Festuca gigantea Vill. Hist. PI. Dauph. 2: no. 



1787. 



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

 Sheaths usually overlapping; ligule \" long; leaves 5'- 

 1 long or more, bright green, 2 // -6 // wide, flat, rough; 

 panicle 7 / -i2 / in length, loose, narrow, the branches 

 erect or ascending, the lower 2 / -4 / long; spikelets 3-7- 

 flowered ; empty scales acuminate, smooth and glabrous, 

 the first i -3-nerved, shorter than the 3~5-nerved second; 

 flowering scales, exclusive of awns, about $" long f 

 faintly 5-nerved, slightly scabrous, minutely 2-toothed 

 at the apex, bearing an awn 6 // -8 // long. 



In waste places, Maine to southern New York. Adventive 

 from Europe. July-Aug. 



