Festuca pratensis

Festuca pratensis
Festuca pratensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
(unranked): Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Festuca
Species: F. pratensis
Binomial name
Festuca pratensis
Huds.

Festuca pratensis, the Meadow fescue[1], ( syn. Bromus pratensis (Huds.) Spreng., Bucetum pratense (Huds.) Parn., Festuca fluitans L. var. pratensis (Huds.) Huds., Festuca elatior L. subsp. pratensis (Huds.) Hack., Lolium pratense (Huds.) Darbysh., Tragus pratensis (Huds.) Panz. ex B.D.Jacks., and Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P.Beauv.) is a perennial species of grass, which is often used an ornamental grass in gardens.

It is an important forage crop.

It grows in meadows, on roadsides, old pastures riversides etc. on moist, rich soils, especially on loamy and heavy soils.

It is a tall, tufted grass similar to tall fescue Festuca arundinacea. Tall fescue differs by having minute hairs on the auricles

Description

It is a perennial bunchgrass, (ie grows in tufts), which grows between 30 and 120 cm (47 in), flowering from June until August. The panicles are green to purplish. The spikelets have 5 to 14 flowers.

It has a short blunt ligule compared to other grasses 1mm high. The leaves are bright green.

[2]


Photos

  • Festuca pratensis Huds. Photo by Kristian Peters

  • basis of the leaf,
    Photo by Kristian Peters

  • Festuca pratensis Huds.

  • Festuca pratensis Huds.

References

  1. ^ Clause 5.3.2.2.3 BS 7370-5
  2. ^ Grasses by C E Hubbard, 1978, published by Penguin books


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