602 THE GRASS TAMILT. 



a. Spiked meadow F. {F. loliacea, Eng. Bot. t. 1821). Spikelets almost 

 sessile, in a simple spike. Grows with the common form, always passing ■ 

 gradually into it. 



b. Common meadow F. {F. pratemis, Eng. Bot. 1. 1592). Panicle slightly 

 branched but close. In meadows and pastures. 



c. Tall meadow F. {F. elatior, Eng. Bot. t. 1593, F. arundinacea, Bab. 

 Man.). A taller, often reed-Uke plant, with broader leaves, the panicle 

 more branched and spreading. On banks of rivers, and in wet places, espe- 

 cially near the sea. 



3. Reed Fescue. Festuca sylvatica, Till. 

 (F. calamaria, Eng. Bot. t. 1005, and F. decidua, t. 2266.) 



A tall, reed-like perennial, with rather broad, flat leaves, and a rather 

 compact panicle, 4 to 6 inches long. Spikelets numerous, smaller even than 

 in the sheep's F., seldom containing more than 4 or 5 flowers. Outer glumes 

 much narrower than in the two preceding species, and often almost subulate. 

 Flowering glumes about 2 hues long, tapering into a fine point, but not 

 distinctly awned. 



In mountain woods, in central Europe, from central France and northern 

 Italy to southern Scandinavia, and eastward to the Eussian frontier. In 

 Britain, thinly scattered over a large area, both in Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, more prevalent in northern than in southern England, but unknown 

 in the north of Scotland. Fl. summer. 



4. Rat's-tail Fescue. Festuca Myurus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1412 and F. bromoides, t. 1411.- F. sciuroides, Bab. Man.) 



A tufted annual, usually about a foot high. Leaves narrow and convo- 

 lute as in the sheep's F. Panicle slender and one-sided, 2 to 6 inches long, 

 contracted, sometimes spike-hke or even reduced to a simple spike ; the 

 branches always short and erect. Spikelets of the size of those of the 

 sheep's F., but the glumes narrower, the outer ones very unequal, the flower- 

 ing ones ending in an awn at least as long as themselves. 



In waste places, on waUs, roadsides, etc., in central and southern Europe, 

 extending eastward to the Caucasus and northward into southern Scandi- 

 navia. In Britain, rather frequent in England and Ireland, less so in Scot- 

 land. Fl. early summer. There are two marked varieties often considered 

 as species, the true F. Myurus, with a panicle of about 3 inches, the flower- 

 ing glumes nearly as long as their awn, the lowest empty glume about 2 

 lines long, the second at least 3 lines, and both very pointed ; and the 

 hromelike F. (F. bromoides), with the panicle much longer and more slen- 

 der, the flowering glumes smaller, thinner, and much shorter than their 

 awns, the outermost empty glume not 1 line long, the second about 2 lines. 

 In some localities, however, the two forms run much one into the other. 



5. One-gluiued Fescue. Festuca uniglumis, Soland. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1430.) 

 A tufted annual, with convolute leaves Uke the last, but seldom above 

 6 inches high, and the leaf-sheaths much looser. Panicle one-sided and 

 spike-like, 2 inches long or rather more. Spikelets much crowded, on short, 

 erect pedicels, thickened at the top. Outermost glume reduced to a minute 

 almost microscopic scale ; the second lanceolate, 4 to 6 lines long, scarious 

 on the edges, endmg in an awn-like point. Flowering glumes 3 or 4, rather 

 shorter, but ending in an awn usually longer than themselves. 



