Festuca Elattor. Tall Fescue Grass. 
FESTUCA Linn. Gen. P/. Triandria Digynia. 
Cal. 2 valvis. Spicula oblonga, teretiufcula, glumis acuminatis. 
^ R a11 Syri. Gen. 27. Herbae graminifoli^; flore imperfecto culmifer/£. 
tESiUCA elatior panicula decompofita, primo nutante, florente fubere&a, fpiculis ovato-lanceolatis 
acutis muticis, foliis planis. 
FESTUCA elatior panicula fecunda erefta, fpiculis fubariftatis, exterioribus teretibus. Linn. Sy/l. 
Vegetal/, ed. 14. Murr. p. 118. Sp. Pl. p. 111. var. ( 3 . Schreb. Gram. t. 2. p. 34. 
POA foliis latis afperis, locuftis teretibus muticis, glumarum oris membranaceis. Hali. Hifl. n. 1451. 
FESTUCA elatior panicula fecunda erefta ramofa, ramis binatis, fpiculis ovatis fubariftatis, foliis planis. 
Hudf. FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 47. 
GRAMEN arundinaceum aquaticum panicula avenacea. Rail Syn. ed. 3. p. 411. 14. 
GRAMEN paniculatum nemorofum latiore folio glabrum, panicula nutante, non ariftata. Rail Syn. 
P ■ 411 - 1 5- 
GRAMEN arundinaceum locuftis viridi fpadiceis loliaceis, brevius ariftatis. Scheuch. Agrojl. p. 2 66. 
GRAMEN loliaceum fpica divifa pratenfe majus. Mori/'. Hijl. Ox. 111. 184. t. 2. f 15; 
RADIX perennis, fibris numerofis, fufcis, ramofiflimis, 
fubvillofis. 
CULMI bi-tripedales et ultra in pingui folo, erefti, 
teretes, glabri, nodofi, ad bafin plerumque 
purpurei. 
FOLIA inferiora pedalia, aut fefquipedalia, tres 
quaterve lineasi, lata, fenfim acuminata, fu- 
perne et ad margines fcabriufcula, ftriata, 
inferne carinata, nitidula, amplexicaulia, bafi 
ipfa e flavo virefcente ; membrana breviflima 
truncata, caulina breviora ; Vaginee ftriatas, 
lseves. 
PANICULA fpithamasa, aut pedalis, primo plerumque 
nutans, poftea fubere&a ; Rami plerumque 
binati, inasquales, in ramulos plerumque fub- 
divifi, ad bafin tumidi; Rachis angulofus, 
flexuofus, fcabriufculus, nitidus. 
SPICUL/E ovato-lanceolatze, teretiufculas, viridi et 
purpureo variegata:, fuboftoflora?, nunc mu- 
ticas, jig. 2. nunc brevius ariftata;, jig. 1. 
I 
CALYX: Gluma bivalvis; valvis inaequalibus, acuminatis, ^ 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvis fubasqualibus acutis, ex- ^ 
teriore majore, et paulo longiore, Jig. 4. in- A 
teriore faepe bifida, Jig. 5. Q 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria; Anthers § 
lineares, flavae, auft. jig. 6 . ■*, 
PISTILLUM: Germen obovatum, lasve; Styli * 
duo, patentes, plumofi, jig. 7, 8. 5 
NECT ARIUM : Glumulee duae, ad bafin germinis, § 
ovato -acuminatas, denticulo laterali acuminato $ 
plerumque inftru&se, jig. 9. § 
ROOT perennial, furniftied with numerous brown 
fibres, much branched, and {lightly villous. 
STALKS from two to three feet high, or more in a 
rich foil, upright, round, fmooth, jointed, 
ufually purple at the bafe. 
LEAVES towards the root, a foot or a foot and a half 
long, and three or four lines broad, gradually 
tapering to a point, above and on the edges 
rough i(n, ftriated, on the under fide keeled, 
a little glofly, embracing the ftalk, the very 
bafe of a yellowifh green colour ; membrane 
very fliort and truncated, leaves of the ftalk 
fhorter ; Sheaths ftriated and fmooth. 
PANICLE from a fpan to a foot in length, at firft for 
the moft part drooping, becoming afterwards 
nearly upright ; Branches generally growing 
in pairs, unequal, for the moft part fubdividea 
into fmaller ones, tumid at the bafe ; Rachis 
angular, crooked, roughiffi, glofly. 
SPICUL/E ovato -lanceola u . roundilh, variegated with 
green and purple, containing about eight 
flowers, fometimes without, jig. 2. fometimes 
having fliort awns, jig. 1 . 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, which are unequal 
and taper to a point, jig. 3, 
COROLLA compofed of two valves, the valves nearly 
equal, pointed, the outermoft larger and a 
little longer than the other, jig. 4. the inner 
one often bifid, fig. 5. 
ST AMIN A : three capil lary Fil am e n ts ; Anther m 
linear and yellow, magnified, fg. 6 . 
PISTILLUM: Germen inverfely ovate, fmooth; 
Styles two, fpreading, feathery, fg. 7, 8. 
NECTARY two fmall Glumes at the bafe of the germen, 
ovate with a long point, ufually furniftied on 
the fide with a long {lender tooth, fg. g. 
The three Grafles figured in the prefent number, differ fo materially in their ufual appearance when growing 
wild, that from the firft we have been induced to confider them as diftinft fpecies ; that we might however profit 
by the lio-ht which cultivation in numerous inftances throws on fpecies and varieties, we brought them into our 
garden, and after cultivating them many years in different foils and fituations, find ourfelves juftified in the idea 
originally entertained. 
The firft of thefe, the Fefluca elatior, is the leaft common of the three, and with us the moft local, affe&ing 
and found chiefly in wet fituations, as on the edges of the rivulets proceeding from the Thames, in the ofier 
orounds adjoining it, and more rarely in moift meadows and woods: we have obferved it this year 1791, in 
great plenty in an ofier-ground adjoining the Thames, nearly oppofite the phyfic-garden, Chelfea ; Ray 
mentions it as having been found by Mr. Doody, between London and Chelfea: it grows in larae tufts, and is 
rendered confpicuous by the breadth of its leaves, the height of its Items, and the drooping of its panicle, at 
leaft before it flowers. , . „ , . , c . . 
The ftudent muft be careful not to miftake it for the Bromus hirfutus and giganteus already figured m this 
work, and which have fome affinity to it at leaft in point of fize. 
In open meadows, being in every refpeft fmaller, it is not fo diftinguifliable. 
It flowers about the latter end of June and beginning of July. 
We find it to be a hardy, perennial, and very produaive grafs, and that it will grow on moderately dry foils 
better than mi°ht be expe6fed ; we apprehend however that it is too harffi and coari'e, either for hay' or pafture : 
we recommend it neverthelefs to the notice of the Agriculturift ; it probably may prove a good grafs for foils 
which cannot be drained of their too great moifture, or which are apt to be overflown. 
In very luxuriant fpots the leaves will fometimes be found half an inch wide, as Vaillant defcribes it; in 
o-eneral, iize excepted, we difcover very little variation in the habit or characters of this grafs : in regard to 
Arifta ’indeed, it varies as moft other grades are obferved to do. ; 
We have found it for the moft part beardlefs, fome authors defcribe it with, others without an Arifta, vul. 
Snor . Captain Dorset, who has bellowed great attention on the Britifh Grafles, fent me a fpecimen this 
year gathered near Woolwich, the flowers of which were all ffiortly bearded. 
’ 6 Unfortunately for the fcience. 
On the awn there's no reliance. 
We have frequently noticed it in thofe grafles, which, according to their charafler, fliouid not have it, and 
wanting where it ought to have been ; this fummer in particular, I obferved a plant of the A-aem elatior without 
awns, the Angularity of which prompted me to remove its root to my garden. 
Our figure 'represents the Fejluca elatior juft coming into bloom. 
