FESTUCA ELATIOR
13. Festuca elatior L. MEADOW FESCUE.
A tufted, deep-rooted perennial growing commonly on good soil in meadows but occurring also in pastures, along roadsides, river banks and in waste places.
Leaves rolled in the bud-shoot. Sheath not compressed, not keeled, glabrous, pale green, reddish to purple at base, split to very near the base with the hyaline margins overlapping. Auricles present, 0.5 to 1.5 mm. long, soft, clawlike or blunt, yellow-green to creamy-white. Collar broad, distinct, glabrous, yellow-green to cream colour; margins thin, dilated and often wavy. Ligule membranous, greenish, short (0.2 to 0.5 mm. long), truncate to obtuse, entire. Blade 3 to 8 mm. wide, 10 to 50 cm. long, bright green; upper surface dull, scabrous and prominently ridged; lower surface glossy, smooth and slightly keeled; margins scabrous.
This grass is distinguished from Lolium perenne by rolled bud-leaves and from Lolium multiflorum by the rough leaf-margins and very short truncate ligule.
