5) THE GRASS FAMILY. [ Festuca. 
A genus widely distributed over the temperate regions of the globe, and 
numerous in forms if not in species. It differs from Poa only in the 
longer, more pointed, or awned glumes ; from Bromus in the inflorescence, 
in the more terminal points or awns, the edges of the glumes less scarious 
and scarcely, if at all, extended beyond the commencement of the awn, as 
well as in the glabrous ovary and more terminal styles of most of the 
species. 
Awns none, or not above a line long. : 
Leaves, at least the radical ones, subulate and almost cylin- 
drical. Stems seldom 2 feet high . é : : : . 1, & ovina. 
Leaves flat. Stems 2 to 6 feet high. ; 
Spikelets 3- to 5-flowered. Outer glumes linear. Flowering 
glumes narrow ° 5 “ : - : : é 5 
Spikelets 5- to 10-flowered. Outer glumes lanceolate. 
Flowering glumes broadly lanceolate : - = . 2 F£, elatior. 
Awns as long as or longer than the glumes. : 
Panicle loose and spreading. Stem 3 to 4 feet . : . . Bromus giganteus, 
Panicle one-sided, narrow and compact or spikelike. Stems 
annual, under a foot high. 
Outer glumes narrow, the lowest 1 to 2 lines, the second 2 
to 3 lines long : 7 - a ; = 5 = 
Lowest glume a minute scale, the second lanceolate, 4 to 6 
lineslong . 0 ° . ° ° : . : . 5. F. uniglumis, 
1. F. ovina (fig. 1222). Sheep’s Fescue.—A densely tufted or more 
rarely shortly creeping perennial, 6 inches to near 2 feet high. Leaves 
chiefly radical, very narrow, and almost cylindrical, the few stem ones 
more rarely flattened. Panicle rather compact and slightly one-sided, from 
13 to 4 inches long. Spikelets smaller than in F. elatior; the glumes 
narrower, glabrous or downy, very faintly nerved, and almost always 
bearing a fine point or awn about a line long. 
In hilly pastures, most abundant in dry, open situations, more rarely in 
moist places, throughout Europe and central and Russian Asia, from the 
Mediterranean to the Arctic regions,and in North America and Australasia. 
Abundant in Britain. #1. summer. In mountain pastures it is very apt 
to become viviparous, the glumes becoming elongated and leaf-like, and 
this state has been considered as a species, under the name of F. vivipara. 
Besides which the following, among the British varieties, are sometimes 
ranked as species :— 
a, Common £. ovina. Stem not a foot high, with dense tufts of subu- 
late leaves. In dry, hilly pastures. 
b. #. duriuscula, Linn. Taller but tufted, the radical leaves subulate, 
one or two stem ones usually flattened. In moister and more luxuriant 
pastures. 
c. EF. sabulicola, Duf. (rubra, Linn.). Rootstock more or less creeping, 
all the leaves subulate. In light sandy or loose stony places, attaining 
sometimes, especially near the sea, above 2 feet in height. 
2, F. elatior, Linn. (fig. 1223). Meadow Fescue——A perennial, vary- 
ing from about 2 to 4 or 5 feet in height, either tufted or with a shortly 
creeping rootstock. Leaves flat, but varying much in breadth. Panicle 
sometimes reduced to a simple spike, with almost sessile, distant spikelets, 
more frequently branched, but always erect and narrow, from 5 or 6 inches 
to near a foot long. Spikelets 6 lines to near an inch long, containing from 
5 to 10 or even more flowers. Flowering glumes, when the panicle is 
nearly simple, rather broad, scarious at the edge, scarcely pointed, and dis- 
3. F. sylvatica, 
4, F, Myurus. 
