GRAMINEAE. 1 47 



cm. long, often one sided, narrow, its branches short, usually erect or appressed; 

 spikelets 3 -5 -flowered; empty scales unequal, acute, the first i-nerved, the second 

 3-nerved; flowering scales 3-4 mm. long, smooth, acute, usually short-awned. In 

 fields and waste places, Lab. to Br. Col., south to N. J., Colo, and Cal. Variable. 

 Probably indigenous northward, but mostly naturalized from Europe. Native also 

 of Asia. The so-called var. vivipara, a state of this grass with the scales wholly 

 or partly transformed into small leaves, is found on the mountains of N. E. and in 

 arctic America. 



Festuca ovina duriiiscula (L.) Hack. Culms taller and stouter, the panicle 

 usually more open and the flowering scales about 6 mm. long. Newf. to the Rocky 

 Mts., south to Va. and Colo. Naturalized from Europe. 



5. Festuca brachyphy" 11a Schultes. Short-leaved Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 

 500a.) Smooth and glabrous. Culms densely tufted, 2 dm. tall or less, slender, 

 erect, much exceeding the short basal leaves; sheaths coarsely striate; leaves very 

 narrow, involute, at least when dry, those on the culm 1.25 cm. or less long, erect 

 or ascending; panicle 2.5 cm. or less long, nearly simple, its branches appressed; 

 spikelets 2-4-flowered, the empty scales acuminate, the first 1 -nerved, the second 

 3-nerved; flowering scales acute or acuminate, rough toward the apex, 4-5 mm. 

 long, exclusive of the scabrous awn, which is 1-2.5 mm. long. Newf. to Br. Col., 

 the higher mountains of Vt. and the Rocky Mts. to Colo. Summer. 



6. Festuca capillata Lam. Filiform Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 500b.) 

 Densely tufted. Culms erect from a decumbent base, 1.5-4 dm. tall, slender, 

 smooth and glaucous, shining; sheaths confined to the base of the culm; leaves 

 filiform, smooth or rough, the basal ones from one-third to one-half as long as the 

 culm, the culm leaves 2.5-3.75 cm. long; panicle contracted, I.25-5 cm. long, its 

 branches erect, 1.25 cm. or less long; spikelets 4-5 mm. long, 4-5 -flowered ; outer 

 scales empty, unequal, the first acuminate, the second acute; flowering scales about 

 2.5 mm. long, unawned, acute. Fields and roadsides. Me. and N. Y. Also in Miss. 

 Introduced from Europe. June-July. 



7. Festuca elatior L. Tall or Meadow Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 502.) 

 Culms 6-15 dm. tall, erect, simple ; leaves 1-4 dm. long, 4-8 mm. wide, flat, 

 smooth beneath, more or less rough above; panicle 1-3.5 dm. * n length, often nod- 

 ding at the top. simple to very compound, the branches ascending or erect, 5-20 

 cm. long; spikelets 5-9-flowered, 9-12 mm. long; empty scales acute, the first 1-3- 

 nerved, the second 3-5-nerved; flowering scales acute or short-pointed, smooth and 

 glabrous, 5-6 mm. long, indistinctly 5 -nerved. In fields and waste places, N. S. 

 to Ont., south to N. Car., Tenn. and Kans. Naturalized from Europe and culti- 

 vated for hay. Variable. July-Aug. 



8. Festuca Shortii Kunth. Short's Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 503.) Culms 

 6-12 dm. tall, erect. Leaves 1.25-2.5 dm. long, 2-6 mm. wide, flat, smooth be- 

 neath, rough above; panicle 7.5-17.5 cm. in length, open, the branches spreading 

 or ascending, rarely erect, spikelet-bearing from the middle or below, the lower 

 3.75-8.75 cm. long; spikelets broadly obovate when mature, 3-6-flowered, 5-6 mm. 

 long; empty scales acute, unequal, scabrous on the nerves, the first 1 -3-nerved, the 

 second 3-nerved ; flowering scales about 4 mm. long, smooth, obtuse or acutibh, 

 faintly nerved. In woods and thickets, Penn. (according to Porter) and 111. to Kans., 

 south to Miss, and Tex. July-Aug. 



9. Festuca nutans WiHd. Nodding Fescue-grass. (I. F. f . 504.) Culms 

 6-9 dm. tall, slender, glabrous or sometimes pubescent; leaves 1-3 dm. long, 4-6 

 mm. wide, rather dark green, flat, smooth beneath, rough above ; panicle 1-2.25 

 dm. in length, its branches at first erect, the lower 6.25-12.5 cm. long, finally 

 spreading and nodding, spikelet-bearing only at the ends; spikelets lanceolate, 3-5- 

 flowered. 5-6 mm. long, empty scales acute, scabrous on the keel, the first i-nerved, 

 shorter than the 3-nerved second; flowering scales about 4 mm. long, smooth, acute, 

 very faintly nerved. In rocky woods, N. S. to Ont. and Neb., south to Fla. and 

 Tex. Ascends to 690 m. in Va. June- Aug. 



10. Festuca gigantea (L.) Vill. Great Fescue-grass. (I. F. f. 505.) 

 Culms 6-12 dm. tall, erect, simple. Sheaths usually overlapping ; 1.25-3 dm. long 

 or more, bright green, 4-12 mm. wide. flat, rough ; panicle 1.75 3 dm. in length, 

 loose, narrow, the branches erect or ascending, the lower 5-10 cm. long ; spikelets 



