84 



A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



west of the area best suited to timothy. Meadow fescue 

 is being used to some extent also in 

 the Pacific Northwest. 



Most of the seed grown in this 

 country is produced in southeast- 

 ern Kansas. 



Description. — A rather tall per- 

 ennial, sometimes with short root- 

 stocks; stems erect, i to 4 feet 

 tall, usually 2 to 3 feet; sheaths 

 smooth; blades flat, 1/12 to 1/5 

 inch wide, rough on the upper sur- 

 face; panicle erect, nodding at the 

 apex, narrow but spreading in 

 flower, 4 to 8 inches long, the 

 branches mostly singly disposed, 

 bearing few rather large spikelets. 

 Details of the Spikelet. — Spike- 

 lets several-flowered, oblong, about 

 1/2 inch long, smooth and green, 

 the florets usually 7 or 8; glumes 

 lanceolate, somewhat unequal, 

 about half as long as the first 

 floret; lemmas rounded on the 

 back, finely nerved, scarious at 

 the acute apex. 



Common Names. — Meadow 

 fescue is the recognized name for 

 the species. The taller form, as 

 described under the paragraph on 



botanical names, is called tall fescue. In some parts of 



9. Meadow Fescue. A 

 single head or panicle. 



