14^ FLCRA. 



glabrous, elongated, often adherent to the scale or palet. [Latin, stalk or straw.] 

 A genus of about So species, widely distributed, particularly numerous in temperate 

 regions. Besides the following, some 15 others occur in the western parts of N. Am. 



Empty scales membranous, Jirm, the second one 3-5-nerved. 

 Leaves 2 mm. wide or fess, usually involute or folded. 

 Annuals ; flowering scales long-awned. 



First scale more than one-half as long as the second; awn not exceeding the 



length of the flowering scale. 1. F. octoflora. 



First scale less that one-half as long as the second ; awn much longer than 

 the flowering scale. 2. F. Mynros. 



Perennials ; flowering scales awnless or short-awned. 



Culms from a rootstock or with stolons. 3. F. rubra. 



Culms densely tufted, no rootstocks. 



Flowering scales short-awned; leaves setaceous. 



Culms 2-4 dm. tall ; culm-leaves long. 4. F. ovt'na. 



Culms 1.5 dm. or less tall ; culm-leaves very short, usually about 1 

 cm. ; an alpine grass. 5. F. brachyphylla. 



Flowering scales awnless ; leaves filiform. 6. F. capillata. 



Leaves 4 mm. wide or more, flat. 



Flowering scales awnless or short-awned. 



Flowering scales 5-7 mm. long ; spikelets 5-10-flowered. 



7. F. elatior. 

 Flowering scales 4 mm. long or less ; spikelets 3-6-flowered. 



Spikelets very broad ; branches of the panicle spikelet-bearing from the 



middle or below. 8. F. Shortii. 



Spikelets lanceolate; branches of the panicle elongated, spikelet-bearing 

 at the end. 9. F. nutans. 



Flowering scales long-awned. 10. F. gigantea. 



Empty scales broad, scarious, with broad hyaline margins, thin, i-nerved ; base of the 

 culms clothed with dry leafless sheaths. 

 Panicle loose and open, usually purple, its branches often widely spreading. 



11. F. scabrella. 

 Panicle narrow, strict, rigid, green, its branches appressed. 12. F. Watsoni. 



1. Festuca octoflora Walt. Slender Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 497.) Culms 

 1-4.5 dm. * a ^> erect, from an annual root, slender, rigid. Leaves 3.75-7.5 cm. 

 long, involute, bristle-form; raceme or simple panicle often one-sided, 2.5-15 cm. 

 in length, contracted, its branches erect, or rarely ascending; spikelets 6-13-flow- 

 ered, 6-10 mm. long; empty scales acute, smooth, the first i-nerved, more than 

 half the length of the 3 -nerved second one; flowering scales, exclusive of awn, 

 3-5 mm. long, usually very scabrous, acuminate into an awn nearly as long as the 

 body or shorter, or sometimes awnless; stamens 2. Dry sandy soil, Quebec to 

 Lr. Col., south to Fla., Tex. and Cal. June-Aug. 



2. Festuca Myuros L. Rat's-tail Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 498.) Culms 

 3-6 dm. tall, erect from an annual root; leaves 5-12.5 cm. long, subulate, involute, 

 erect; panicle usually one-sided, 1-3 dm. in length, contracted, sometimes curved, 

 its branches appressed; spikelets 3-6-flowered; empty scales very unequal, acute, 

 smooth, the first i-nerved, less than half as long as the 3-nerved second one; 

 flowering scales, exclusive of the awn, 4-6 mm. long, narrow, acuminate into an 

 awn much longer than the body; stamen I. In waste places and fields, N. H. to 

 N. J. and Fla. Also on the Pacific coast. Naturalized from Europe. June-July. 



3. Festuca rubra L. Red Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 499.) Culms 4.5-7.5 dm. 

 tall, from running rootstocks, erect, simple; basal leaves involute-filiform, 7.5-15 

 cm. long; culm leaves shorter, erect, flat, or involute in drying, minutely pubescent 

 above; panicle 5-12.5 cm. in length, sometimes red, open at flowering time, con- 

 tracted in fruit; spikelets 3-10-flowered, 8-12 mm. long; lower scales acute, un- 

 equal, the first I-nerved, shorter than the 3-nerved second; flowering scales about 

 6 mm. long, obscurely 5 nerved, sometimes scabrous, bearing awns of less than 

 their own length. Lab. to Alaska, south, especially on the mountains, to Va., Tenn. 

 and Colo. Also in Europe and Asia. Summer. 



4. Festuca ovina L. Sheep's Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 500.) Culms 1.5- 

 3.5 dm. tall, erect, tufted, slender, rigid; sheaths usually crowded at the base 

 of the culm; Ligule auriculate, short; leaves filiform or setaceous, those of the 

 culm few, 2.5 7.5 cm. long, erect, the basal ones numerous; panicle 3-75-7-5 



