[wikipedia] Habitat, Description: Festuca pratensis, the meadow fescue,[1] is a perennial species of grass, which is often used as an ornamental grass in gardens, and is also an important forage crop.
It grows in meadows, roadsides, old pastures, and riversides on moist, rich soils, especially on loamy and heavy soils.
It is a tall, tufted grass similar to the tall fescue, F. arundinacea. F. pratensis differs by having only 2 spikelets on the smaller branch at the lowest panicle node and by having minute hairs on the auricles. It can hybridise with Lolium perenne and Lolium multiflorum.[2]
Description
It is a perennial bunchgrass, (i.e. grows in tufts), which grows 30?120 cm (12?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 1 mm high. The leaves are bright green and up to 4 mm across.[3] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
[eddmaps.org] Ecological Threat: F. pratensis habitat includes remnants of prairies, woodland borders, vacant lots, degraded meadows, pastures, and fields, as well as sides of railroads and roadsides. Preferring full to partial sunlight in loam or clay-loam soils, meadow fescue was introduced as a source of pasturage and hay for farm animals in the United States. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)
/app/up/entry/556/th/166880.jpg:!0000 0000 0208 1947:!0000 0000 1212 1059:!0000 0000 1212 1061:!0000 0000 1212 1062:!
2023 Elliot Gunnison:!2008 Steve Matson:!2012 Al Keuter:!2012 Al Keuter:!2012 Al Keuter:!
po250212:!null:!null:!null:!null:!
Suggested Citation
Calflora:
Information on California plants for education, research and conservation,
with data contributed by
public and private institutions and individuals.
[web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California:The Calflora Database
[a non-profit organization].Available:
https://www.calflora.org/(Accessed: 11/21/2024).