38 CLASS III. ORDER III. 



44. FESTUCA. 

 Festuca elatior. L. Tall Fescue grass. 



Panicle drooping, spreading loosely every way, 

 much branched ; spikelets ovate-lanceolate, acute ; 

 florets cylindrical, obscureljr ribbed. Sm. 



Stem three or four feet high, glabrous. Leaves wide and 

 long, smooth, with a rough margin. Panicle large, decompound, 

 loose and nodding. Spikelets numerous, pedunculated, ovate- 

 oblong, acute. Glumes of the calyx unequal, acute, keeled, 

 glabrous. Florets numerous, two ranked, glabrous. — Meadows 

 and thickets. — June. — Perennial. 



This is a very productive and useful grass. 

 Festuca tenella. Willd. Small Fescue grass. 



Panicle spiked, very simple, secund ; spikelets 

 about nine flowered ; florets subulate, longer than 

 the bristles ; culm filiform, angular above ; leaves 

 setaceous. 



A small and exceedingly delicate festuca. — Found in dry pas- 

 tures at Dorchester. — June. 



^ /Su^'^enws Glyceria. Corolla unarmed ; nectaries collateral 

 connate. 



Festuca fluitans. L. Floating Fescue grass. 



Panicle slightly branched, leaning; spikelets linear, 

 eight to twelve flowered ; florets very obtuse, seven 

 nerved. 



Syn. Glyceria fluitans. R. Brown. 

 Poa fluitans. Smith. 

 A thrifty aquatic grass, found in wet meadows and the edges 

 of ponds and streams. Stems rooting at base, tall, round, 

 smooth. Leaves flat, smooth, the lower ones loose and floating. 

 Sheaths long, compressed. Panicle very long, nearly erect, with 

 alternate branches pressed near to the stalk. Spikelets linear, 

 round, upright. Calyx unequal, smooth, not very acute. Co- 

 rollas very obtuse. Anthers short and round. This grass thrives 



