116 Bulletin VII. 1. 



doubtless endure the tramping- of stock. It remains fresh through- 

 out the year, being little affected by drouth or severe winter 

 weather. It produces a mass of fine root-leaves, and may be re- 

 commended for pastures, especially upon worn-out soils and hill- 

 slopes. 



5. Festuca elatior Linn. Meadow Fescue. Randall-grass. 



Plate XL I. Figure 162. 



Perennial. Culms erect, two to five feet high. Sheaths striate, 

 smooth; ligule very short, lacerate; leaf-blade four to fifteen 

 inches long, linear-lanceolate, flat or convolute in drying, smooth 

 or scabrous on the margins. Panicles four to fifteen inches long, 

 simple or compound, contracted before and after flowering, erect 

 or more often nodding at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate, usually 

 about six lines long, five- to ten-flowered; empty glumes unequal, 

 the first one- the second three-nerved, acute; flowering glumes 

 lanceolate, acute or mucronate-pointed, indistinctly five-nerved. 



Variety pratensis Hackel {F. pratensis Huds.). Plate XLL 

 Figure 163. Culms one to three feet high. Panicle five to eight 

 inches long, oblong or linear, somewhat one-sided, usually erect, 

 nearly simple, the branches solitary or the lower in pairs, with 

 few (one to four) spikelets. 



Variety arundinacea Hackel. {F. arundinacea Schreb.) Plate 

 XLL Figure 164. Culms three to five feet high. Panicles com- 

 pound, eight to fifteen inches long, nodding at the apex, the lower 

 branches bearing many (four to fifteen) spikelets. Spikelets ellip- 

 tical, seven to nine lines long, five- to eight-flowered. 



Tall Fescue, also called Tall Meadow Fescue and Randall- 

 grass, is an exceedingly valuable grass either for mowing or 

 pasture. It is productive on soils which are not too dry, and being 

 of long duration, it is especially valuable for permanent meadows. 

 It thrives best on moist lands which are rich in humus, whether 

 marls or clays. The variety pratensis is smaller than the species 

 with narrower and more erect panicles. The variety arundinacea 

 is a tall, vigorous growing form, with long and abundant basal 

 leaves. In the experimental plots at the Experiment Station this 

 form did exceedingly well, surpassing nearly all other species 

 in the quantity of forage produced suitable for hay. 



6. Festuca Shortii Wood. Short's Fescue. 



Plate XLII. Figure 165. 



Culms about three feet high. Sheaths smooth; ligule very short; 

 leaf-blade four to seven inches long, two to three lines wide, acute, 

 scabrous. Panicle four to seven inches long, nodding, the scab- 

 rous branches in pairs, naked below, the lower ones two to four 

 inches long. Spikelets obovate, two to three lines long, three- to 

 four-flowered, usually much longer than the pedicels; empty 

 glumes lanceolate, acute, slightly unequal, the first one-nerved the 

 second three-nerved, scabrous on the keels, usually about the 



