GRAMINE^S. 241 



shaded meadows and fields ; has a rapid growth, and is considered 

 a valuable grass in England when young. It is not supposed to 

 be indigenous to this country. It can in no way compare with 

 Timothy Grass for grazing, or the value of the crop. 



Festuca. L. 3. 2. Fescue-Grass. 



Fest is the Celtic for food or pasture, and may be the root of 

 this name (Loudon) ; or it may be from fetu for festu, a straw. 

 » Webster. 



Glume 2-valved, unequal, many-flowered ; inner chaff 2, lan- 

 ceolate, and the outer one awned at the tip, or sharp-pointed ; 

 spikelets rather flat. 



F. pratensis. Huds. Meadow Fescue-Grass. Has a branch- 

 ed, spreading panicle of linear and acute spikelets, with linear 

 leaves ; grows in meadow r s and fields ; culm 1-2 feet high ; in- 

 troduced from England. 



In this country this is not considered a very valuable grass. 

 Curtis mentions it as one of the six grasses in England for laying 

 down pastures or meadows ; it should be cut when in flower, as 

 it loses, like most grasses, a considerable portion of its nutriment 

 by ripening. Loudon. 



F. ovina. L. Sheep's Fescue. Is recently introduced as a 

 valuable grass. 



F. elatior. L. Much like F. pratensis, considerably larger, 

 grows in more wet meadows, and is eagerly cropped by cattle in 

 its young state ; of about the same value. 



F. duriuscula. L. Considered a fine grass in England for 

 hay or pasture ; not very common in this State, but coming into 

 notice. 



The two other species, nutans, W., and tenella, W., have little 

 value. F. tenella, W., is a low, beautiful, rather stiff grass. 



Note. The six grasses mentioned by Curtis, are Anthoxan- 

 thum odoralum, Alopecurus pratensis, Poa pratensis and Poa 

 31 



