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Manual of the New Zealand Flora.
30. Festuca, Linn
30. Festuca, Linn.
Perennial or rarely animal grasses. Leaves flat or complicate or convolute, often setaceous ligules scarious. Spikelets 2-to many-flowered, arranged in open or contracted often unilateral panicles; rhachilla disarticulating above the two outer glumes and between the flowering glumes. Two outer glumes unequal or subequal, empty, persistent, more or less keeled, 1–3-nerved. Flowering glumes lanceolate, acute or acuminate or awned, rounded on the back or slightly keeled towards the tip, herbaceous, 5–7-nerved; awn from the tip or close to it, straight; callus glabrous or nearly so. Palea 2-keeled, more or less 2-toothed, scabrid or ciliolate along the keels. Lodicules 2. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous or minutely hairy at the tip; styles distinct, very short; stigmas plumose. Grain enclosed within the slightly hardened flowering glume and palea and often adherent to the latter, oblong, concave or grooved in front; hilum long, linear.
page 917A genus of about 90 species, mainly found in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, not so abundant in the south temperate zone, absent in the tropics except on high mountains. It differs from Atropis in the long linear hilum, and from Poa in the same character and in the flowering glumes being more or less rounded on the back and often awned.
* Flowering glumes not awned.
Culms 1½–3 ft., forming dense hard tussocks. Panicle 2–9 in. Spikelets turgid, ½–¾ in. long 1. F. littoralis. ** Flowering glumes awned; awn much shorter than the glume.
Culms 6–18 in., without creeping stolons, innovation-shoots intravaginal with the sheaths open or closed. Leaves usually setaceous; ligules biauricled. Spikelets 4–7-flowered 2. F. ovina. Culms 9–18 in., usually stoloniferous innovation-shoots both intravaginal and extravaginal; sheaths always closed. Stem-leaves often broader; ligules not obviously biauricled. Spikelets 4–8-flowered 3. F. rubra. Culms 6–9 in., densely tufted. Leaves strict, erect, complicate or terete. Panicle spike-like. Spikelets 2–3-flowered; empty glumes ⅘ the length of the spikelet 4. F. contracta. *** Flowering glumes awned; awn as long or longer than the glume.
Culms 6–18 in., densely tufted, stoloniferous. Leaves soft, pliant, terete. Panicle narrow, spiciform. Spikelets 3–5-flowered 5. F. Coxi.
| 1. | F. littoralis, Labill. Pl Nov. Holl. i. 22, t. 27.—Forming dense hard tussocks of a pale yellow-green colour. Culms branched at the base, erect, rigid, smooth and polished, 1½—3 ft. high. Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, narrow, so strongly involute that the blade is terete, erect, rigid and pungent-pointed, quite smooth and polished sheaths pale, grooved ligules short. Panicle 2–9 in. long, narrow, dense and spike-like rhachis stout, angled, grooved branches short, erect, usually few-flowered; pedicels short, pilose. Spikelets large, broad, flattened or somewhat turgid, ½–¾ in. long, 4–7-flowered, pale yellowish-green. Two outer glumes subequal, more than half as long as the spikelet, keeled, lanceolate, acuminate, 3–5-nerved, glabrous. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, rounded on the back at the base, keeled above, 5–7-nerved, acute or very minutely notched at the tip, the central nerve stout and slightly protruding in the notch, equally minutely hairy all over, base of glume, callus, and rhachilla more or Jess densely clothed with short hairs. Palea lanceolate, ciliolate along the keels. Grain narrow-oblong, almost terete; hilum linear, very short.—A. Rich. Fl. Nouv. Zel. 123; Hook. f. Fl. Tasm. ii. 128; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 341; Buch. N.Z. Grasses, t. 54. Schedonorus littoralis, Beauv. Agrost. 99; A. Cunn. Precur. n. 259 Raoul, Choix, 39 Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 310.
North and South Islands, Stewart Island, Chatham Islands Abundant in sandy and rocky places near the shore. Also common on the coasts of temperate Australia. |
| 2. | F. ovina,Linn. Sp. Plant. 73.—Culms 6–18 in. high, densely tufted, slender, erect, 2–3-noded; innovation-shoots always intravaginal, not stoloniferous. Leaves 2–6 in. long, all similar, narrow, setaceous or capillary, obtuse or acute, 3–7-nerved, green or glaucous, smooth or minutely scabrid; sheaths of the innovation-shoots either open nearly to the base or more or less closed, 3–9-nerved; ligules short, truncate, 2-lobed and articulate. Panicle 1–5 in. long, narrow, dense or rather lax, erect or nodding, often secund; rhachis smooth or scabrid branches solitary or the lower binate, simple or divided, usually scabrid. Spikelets oblong or oblong-lanceolate, ⅕–⅓ in. long, laxly 4–7-flowered. Two outer glumes unequal, lanceolate, acute, lower 1-nerved, upper larger, 3-nerved. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, rounded on the back, smooth or minutely scaberulous, sometimes pruinose, faintly 5-nerved, shortly awned. Palea as long as the glume, ciliolate on the keels.—F. duriuscula, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 309 Handb. N.Z. Fl. 341 (in part, not of Linn.).
Var. novæ-zealandiæ, Hack, in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxv.(1903) 384.—Culms densely tufted, scabrid, 3-noded, 12–20 in. high. Leaves almost as long as the culms, strict, erect, very narrow, cylindric, setaceous, sharply acute or almost pungent, rough with scabrid points; sheaths open, smooth; ligules evi-page 918dently biauricled, glabrous. Panicle oblong, contracted but rather lax; lower branches binate, 3–6-spiculate, Spikelets elliptic, ⅓ in. long, laxly 5–7-flowered, Two outer glumes linear-lanceolate. Flowering glumes lanceolate, minutely scaberulous, short-awned at the tip. Var. Matthewsii, Hack. l.c. 385.—Culms erect, quite smooth and glabrous, 12–20 in. high. Leaves almost equalling the culms, narrow, complicate, somewhat acute at the tip, quite glabrous, ribbed when dry, furnished at the base with a brown pulvinate callus sheaths rather lax, open, quite smooth ligules 2-lobed, lobes acute, ciliolate. Panicle 3–6 in. long, ovate-oblong, spreading, lax, nodding rhachis and branches scabrid; the latter binate, naked at the base, 1–3-spiculace at the tip. Spikelets large, ovate-lanceolate, ½–⅔ in. long, 5–7-flowered. North and South Islands Forms resembling common European states occur in several localities, but may be introduced, Var. novœ - zealandiœ: Ruahine Mountains, A. Hamilton!Probably not uncommon in the South Island. Nelson—Clarence Valley, T. F. C.Canterbury—Mount Torlesse, T. F. C.Otago—Maniototo Plain, Cambrians,. Dunstan Mountains, Petrie!Var. Matthewsii:Otago—Mount Bonpland, H. J. Matthews! Petrie!Sea-level to 4500 ft.Sheep's Fescue. A common grass in the temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere. The two varieties described above have a very different appearance from the majority of the European forms, particularly var. Matthewsii, which is remarkable for its large spikelets and curious swollen callus at the base of the leaf-blades. |
| 3. | F. rubra,Linn. Sp. Plant. 74.—Culrns 9–18 in. high, laxly or densely tufted, erect or geniculate at the base, smooth, striate, 2-noded innovation-shoots both intravaginal and extravaginal, the extravaginal ones ascending or stoloniferous and creeping. Leaves 3–6 in. long, narrow, those of the innovation-shoots and sometimes of the culms setaceous, but frequently the culm-leaves are broader and flat or involute when dry, 3–7-nerved, smooth, obtuse or subacute at the tip; sheaths of the innovation-shoots tight, smooth, closed almost to the mouth; ligules very short, glabrous, not auricled or obscurely so. Panicle very variable, 1–5 in. long, contracted, usually rather dense, erect or nodding, often secund; rhachis angled, scabrid branches solitary or the lowest binate, divided almost from the base, scaberulous. Spikelets elliptic-lanceolate to oblong, ¼–½ in. long, laxly 4–8-flowered. Two outer glumes unequal; lower lanceolate, acuminate, 1-nerved; upper larger, ovate - lanceolate, 3-nerved. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, involute and rounded on the back, faintly 5-nerved, shortly awned awn slender, scaberulous. Palea as long as the glume, linear-oblong, ciliolate on the keels.—F. duriuscula, Hook. f. Fl. Nov. Zel. i. 309; Handb. N.Z. Fl. 341 (for the, most part, but, not of Linn.).
North and South Islands, Stewart Island Abundant from the East Cape and the Upper Waikato southwards. Sea-level to 4500 ft. According to Professor Hackel, this constitutes the greater part of the F. duriuscula of the "Flora Novæ-Zealandiæ" and the Handbook, the true F. duriuscula probably not existing in an indigenous state in New Zealand. It page 919is very closely allied to F, ovina, differing mainly in the innovation-shoots being frequently stoloniferous, and usually both extravaginal and intravaginal, and in their sheaths being closed almost to the mouths also in the ligules not being auricled, and in the stem-leaves being usually broader and flatter than those on the innovation-shoots. It has considerable value as a sheep-grass, and is often sown on sheep-runs. Outside New Zealand it has a wide range in Europe and northern Asia. |
| 4. | F. contracta, T. Kirk in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxvii. (1895) 353.—• Culms densely tufted, smooth, strict, erect, leafy, 6–9 in. high. Leaves longer or shorter than the culms, narrow, strict, erect, complicate or almost terete, pungent at the tip, smooth or faintly striate on the back, the midrib and nerves prominent on the inner face; sheaths rather lax, thin, pale, grooved; ligules very short, truncate. Panicle 2ndash;3 in. long, strict, narrow, erect, spike-like, simple or with a few short branches in the lower half; rhachis angled, scaberulous; branches or pedicels short, stout, erect. Spikelets pale, about ½ in. long including the awns, 2ndash;3-flowered. Two outer glumes unequal, from ¾ to ⅘ the length of the entire spikelet, narrow-lanceolate, smooth, membranous, acuminate but not awned lower 1-or faintly 3-nerved, upper distinctly 3-nerved. Flowering glumes lanceolate, rounded on the back, rather thin, 5-nerved, narrowed into a short stiff awn, surfaces minutely scaberulous, callus glabrous. Palea shorter than the glume, faintly ciliolate along the keels. Grain oblong-obovoid, grooved hilum linear, about ½ its length.
Macquarie Island: Professor Scott! A. Hamilton! I have only seen two very indifferens specimens of this plant, and some allowance must consequently be made for the description. |
| 5. |
F. Coxii,Hack. MSS.—Rhizome stout, creeping. Culms densely tufted, branched at the base, erect or slightly geniculate, slender, smooth, leafy, 6ndash;18 in. high. Leaves numerous, longer than the culms, slender, soft, pliant, the margins so much involute that the leaf is terete, smooth on the back, midrib prominent on the inner face; sheaths rather lax, thin, smooth, striate, open to the base ligules very short, truncate, ciliolate at the tip. Panicle 2ndash;3 in. long, narrow, rather dense, often reduced to a simple raceme or spike, or with 2ndash;3-spiculate branches in the lower part; rhachis stout, angled, scabrid; branches or pedicels very short, stout, scabrid, the upper spikelets nearly sessile. Spikelets about ¾ in. long with the awns, laxly 3ndash;5-fiowered. Two outer glumes un equal, from ½to¾ the length of the whole spikelet, narrowed into long acuminate scabrid points; lower linear, 1-nerved; upper longer, narrow-lanceolate, 3-nerved. Flowering glumes oblong-lanceolate, firm, rounded on the back, concave, faintly 5-nerved, gradually narrowed into a terete scabrid awn as long or longer than the glume, surface densely minutely scabrid, callus glabrous. Palea page 920as long as the glume, deeply 2-fid, serrulate along the keels. Grain linear-oblong, deeply grooved; hilum ⅘ the length of the grain.— Agropyrum Coxii, Petrie in Trans. N.Z. Inst. xxxiv. (1902) 395. Chatham Islands: Common on rocks and sands near the shore Cox and Cockayne! ' A distinct species, well marked by the peculiar habit, narrow spike-like panicles, short stout pedicels, narrow awned empty glumes, and by the long-awned flowering glumes. |