674 



FARM SEEDS : SPECIAL 



Festuca ariindiiiacea Schreb. (Fig. 222). It is sometimes sold as 

 F. elaiio}-, but is of little or no agricultural value on account of 

 its coarse reedy character. The seeds have a short awn and are 

 practically identical in appearance with those of ordinary Tall 

 Fescue, with the exception of colour which is generally 

 paler. 



Sheep's Fescue {Festuca oviiia L.), 

 Hard Fescue {F. du?-iusLula L. ). 

 Red Fescue (F. rubra L.). 



These are very variable grasses, often considered as varieties 

 or sub-species of Festuca ovina L. Little or no attempt is made 

 to collect definite samples of each ; and as supplied 

 by the seedsman, they are usually all derived from the « 

 same parcel by screening. The smaller seeds without \ 

 awns are sent out as F. oviiia {tenulfolia), (Fig. 223), 

 the larger ones with tapering awns being supplied as 

 F. duriuscula (Fig. 224). The typical seed of F. durius- 

 cula has a pale brown flowering glume, which tapers 

 off gradually into a rough awn about one-si.\th the 

 length of the whole seed. The lower part is 

 smooth, but on the upper part a few short 

 hairs are present, especially on the mid-rib. 

 The rachiUa is cylindrical, with a projecting 

 flat top and juts out from the pale. Seeds of 

 F. riitira are somewhat broader than those of 

 F. duriuscula, and the awn appears to arise 

 more abruptly from the flowering glume. 



The chief impurities met with in these 

 smaller Fescues are seeds of Sorrel {Riniicx 'see"j'~ 

 Acetosella L ) (2, Fig. 199), Soft Brome-grass "rescie. 

 (Fig. 221), and Purple iMelick grasses (Fig. 

 216), which have been dcscrilicd previously. 



The GER.MiN.\TioN c.\PACiTV of good Samples is usually about 

 70 to 80 per cent. 



Fro. 223.— 

 Seed of 

 Sheep's 

 Fescue. 



