g g f [ 1593 ]
FESTUCA elatior.
Tall Fescue -grass.
TRIANURIA Uigynia.
G e*j. Char. Cal. of 2 valves. Spihelet oblong, somewhat
cylindrical, two-ranked, with sharp-pointed
glumes.
Spec. Char. Panicle drooping, spreading loosely every
way, very much branched. Spikelets ovato-lan-
ceolate, acute. Florets cylindrical, obscurely ribbed.
bYN- bestuca elatior. Linn. Sp. PI. i l l Sm F l
Brit 12*. Buds. 47. With. 155. Hull. 24.'
Relh. 38. Sibth. 45. A l lo t . 21. Curt. Land.
Jasc. 6. t. 8.
G. arundinaceum aquaticum, panicula avenacea. Rail
oyn. 411.
G . pamculatum nemorosum, latiore folio, glabrum
panicula nutante non aristata. Dill, in Raii Sun.
411? but the plant o f Micheli is F. calamaria, t. 1005.
OUND in the moist meadows and osier-grounds about the
Thames, and in other similar places. Sherard had it from
Dover in a very luxuriant state; and from his specimens, which
we have compared with those of Linnæus, Dillenius admitted
it into his edition of Ray, though (unless I am greatly mistaken)
it is not different from the species in that work immediately
preceding.
It is perennial, flowering in July. The root is fibrous,
forming very large tufts producing abundance of coarse
herbage. The. stems vary from 3 to almost 5 feet in height.
Leaves twice the size of F. pralensis; from which it further
differs in having a much more branched and drooping panicle,
which spreads nearly in every direction, with ovate, acute,
less compressed spikelets.