AGRICULTURAL GRASSES 53 



FESTUCA OVINA TENUIFOLIA 



(Fine-leaved Sheep's Fescue), 



Under the name of Festuca ovina all the smaller Fescues 

 are sometimes grouped, and much confusion has resulted from 

 the practice. A writer will speak very strongly for or against 

 Festuca ovina, and it will afterwards appear that he was 

 referring to Festuca duriuscula. Again, Festuca duriuscula, 

 Festuca rubra, and Festuca heterophylla are all occasionally 

 mistaken one for another. The dwarf Festuca ovina tenuifolia, 

 or angustifolia, differs from them all, not only in growth, but 

 in the seed, which is small, smooth, and of a golden-brown 

 colour, while the seed of all the others is larger and of a 

 darker hue. 



Only a small proportion of the seed sold in England under 

 the name of Festuca ovina tenuifolia is the true fine-leaved 

 variety. From descriptions which are published in this 

 country it is obvious that the distinguishing characteristics of 

 the seed are unknown to some of those who offer it, and as 

 it generally costs must more than seed of F. duriuscida or 

 F. rubra, the great diversity in the quotations for this grass 

 is easily accounted for. 



The Fine-leaved Sheep's Fescue (F. ovina tenuifolia) is 

 the smallest grass cultivated for agricultural purposes, and is 

 perfectly distinct from other Fescues, being densely tufted, 

 with abundance of very narrow leaves and slender flower- 

 stalks. The herbage is succulent, although wiry in appearance, 

 and the culm has the peculiarity of being angular, while all other 

 cultivated Fescues have round stalks. The plant comes into 

 flower the third week of June, grows from six to twelve inches 

 high, and retains its green colour during hot dry weather. 

 It is therefore much used in the making of lawns, for which 

 purpose it possesses a special value in combination with other 

 fine-leaved grasses. 



