Illustrated Descriptions of the Grasses 



a slender, dark green grass with loose, few-flowered panicles. 

 The spikelets are small, and as they are borne only at the ends 

 of the panicle branches the '^^x . 

 plant should not be con- ^^^ 

 fused with other shade- >^v, ^ni. 

 loving grasses. 



The plants of this genus 

 are very variable under 

 different conditions of soil 

 and climate, and a number 

 of varieties are listed under 

 the species given. 



Slender Fescue. Festilcaocto- 

 flora Walt. 



Root annual, often tufted. 



Stem 4'-2o' tall, slender, erect, wiry. Ligule 



very short. Leaves bristle-like, i'-3' long, in- 

 volute, occasionally downy. 



Panicle i'-6' long, narrow, contracted, often i -sided, 

 branches short. Spikelets 5-13-flowered, 3"-5" 

 long. Outer scales very acute, slightly unequal, 

 smooth; flowering scales rough, bearing a term- 

 inal awn I "-3" long; palets nearly as long as 

 flowering scales. Stamens 2. 



Dry sterile soil. May to August. 



New Brunswick to Florida, west to Washington 

 and California. 



Red Fescue. Festuca rubra L. 



Perennial, with creeping rootstocks. 



Stem 1-25 ft. tall, slender, erect. Ligule very short. 

 Leaves of sterile shoots involute, bristle-like, 

 3'- 10' long, stem leaves shorter, involute in dry- 

 ing, minutely downy on upper surface. 



Panicle i'-& long, branches ascending, spreading in 

 flower, not numerous, lower branches \'-^' long. 

 Spikelets 3-9-flowered, 3"-5" long, green or red- 

 dish. Outer scales acute, unequal; flowering 

 scales bearing each a short terminal awn; palets 

 as long as flowering scales. Stamens 3, anthers 

 yellow or purplish. 



Dry soil. June to August. 



Labrador to Alaska, south to North Carolina and 

 Colorado. 



221 



Fescue 



elatior 



