CLASS III. ORDER II.] 



FESTUCA. 125 



according to Pheis, it is from the Celtic word fest, which signifies 

 food ox pasturage ; in I-atiu, the viOxiS. festuca signifies the shoot 

 or stalk of a tree or herb. 



* Ghimelles with a short awn. 



1. F. ovi'na, Linn. (Fig. 157 and 158.) Sheep's Fescue-grass. Pa- 

 nicle rather close ; spikelets mostly turned to one side, oblong, of 

 about five florets ; stems stjuare upwards ; leaves bristle-shaped. 



English Botany, t. 585.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 139.— Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. .313.— Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 48.— Sinclair, Hort. 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 257. 



/3. Sm. rii'bra ; panicle purplish. Festu'ca ru'bra, Withering. 



<y. Sm. cce'sia; whole plant glaucous. Festu'ca cce'sia, English 

 Botany, t. 1917: 



3'. Sm. tenuifo'lia ; leaves more numerous, longer, and slenderer ; 

 glumelles acuminate, awnless. Festti'ca tenuifo'lia, Sibthorp, Schrader. 



£. Hook, vivip'ara, (Fig. 158.); plant taller; florets viviparous. 

 Festu'ca ovi'na, 13. Linn. y. Schrader. — Festu'ca vivip'ara, English 

 Botany, t. 1355. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 140. — Lindley, Synopsis, 

 p. 313. 



Root of numerous, long, smooth, branched fibres. Stems numerous, 

 from three to eighteen inches high, erect, smooth, slender, round and 

 leafy in the lower part, naked and si^uare in the upper. Leaves very 

 numerous, tufted, narrow, acute, their margins so closely rolled inwards 

 as to appear bristle-shaped, smooth at the base, roughish towards the 

 apex, mostly of a somewhat glaucous-green, and varying considerably 

 in their length. Sheaths close, smooth, striated. Ligula very short, 

 projecting on each side. Inflorescence an erect, short, rough branched, 

 xather close, one-sided panicle. Spikelets oblong, often purplish. 

 Glumes unequal, acute, nearly smooth, keeled, and with two more or 

 less distinct lateral ribs. Florets about five, rather distant. Glumelles 

 equal : the outer valve keeled and ribbed, smooth, except towards the 

 apex, which is more or less rough ; sometimes downy, especially in 

 the viviparous variety ; acuminated or awned at the extremity ; the 

 awn roughish, variable in length, but not longer than half the length 

 of the valve: the iiiner valve with two lateral roughish ribs, and bifid 

 at the apex. Stigmas feathery. 



Habitat. — On dry, elevated pastures ; common. — s. On the moun- 

 tains of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland ; frequent. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This grass, which is found abundant on downs, high moors, and 

 dry sandy situations, is a favourite food of sheep, and its fine succulent 

 foliage is well fitted for their organs of mastication. It is said to be 

 from the sheep feeding on this grass, that the South Down and Forest 

 mutton obtains its superiority. For cultivation, this grass is little 



