126 FESTUCA. [class hi. order ir. 



capable of improvement ; it is true that a greater produce is obtained 

 Avhen it is grown in a rich loamy soil, but not in proportion to the 

 quantity that can be produced from other grasses in the same situation. 

 Its value as a pasture grass is limited to the natural places of its 

 growth, to which it is admirably adapted by its long, penetrating,. 

 fibrous roots, — the close, tufted manner of its growth, — and its narrow,, 

 thread-like leaves, Mr. Curtis has pointed out the advantage of this 

 grass for making grass-plats, lawns, or bowling-greens : it doee not 

 require so frequent mowing, and keeps greener in dry weather, owing 

 to the length of its roots : for this purpose it will be found to answer 

 best in a light sandy soil. 



2, F. durius'cula, Linn. (Fig. 159.) hard Fescue-grass. Panicle 

 spreading; spikelets mostly turned to one side, oblong, of about 

 six awned florets; stem round ; stem-leaves nearly flat, lower ones 

 bristle-shaped ; root fibrous. 



English Botany, t. 470.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 141.— Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 314. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 49. — Sinclair, Hort. 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 156. 



Foot fibrous, tufted. Stem erect, from one to two feet high, smooth, 

 striated, round. Upper leaves nearly flat, with long, close, smooth, 

 striated sheaths ; the lower leaves numerous, much longer, striated, 

 and keeled ; the margins closely rolled inwards, so as to appear bristle- 

 shaped ; their sheaths shorter, hairy or downy. Ligula very short, 

 obtuse. Inflorescence an erect, somewhat spreading, one-sided panicle; 

 its branches short, angular, rough. Sjnkelets oblong, green or pur- 

 plish, smooth, or sometimes roughish. Glumes unequal : the oxiter 

 valve shortest, keeled ; the inner keeled and ribbed. Florets about 

 six, rather distant. Glumelles equal : the outer keeled, ribbed, and 

 awned, the awn not more than half the length of the valve ; the inner 

 valve with two lateral, roughish ribs, the apex bifid. Stigmas protru- 

 ding, feathery. Anthers yellow. 



This species is nearly allied to the above, from which it is at once 

 distinguished by its greater size and stouter habit. 



Habitat. — In pastures, meadows, and waste places ; plentiful. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This is always found among the grasses of a natural pasture, espe- 

 cially where the soil is rather of a light rich nature. It is one of the 

 best grasses for sheep, springing early, and producing fine succulent 

 herbage, though not very abundant ; and its long fibrous roots enable 

 it to withstand the injurious effects of continued dry weather. Mr. 

 Sinclair remarks, that " it attains to the greatest perfection when com- 

 bined with the Festu'ca praten'sis and Po'a irivia'lis," and that it is 

 entitled " to a place in the composition of the best pastures, though in 

 a small proportion." 



