The leaf sheaths range from open to the base to closed to the top. The culms of the grasses are typically glabrous and smooth, though some species have scabrous culms or culms that are pubescent below the inflorescences. Some grasses are rhizomatous, some lack rhizomes, and rarely species are stoloniferous. Description įestuca grasses are perennial and bisexual plants that are densely to loosely cespitose. This distribution of sclerenchyma tissue is an important distinguishing character between species, and though species can be locally distinguished without analyzing these characteristics, to distinguish the genus as a whole the analysis is necessary. Often distinguishing species within the genus requires the analysis of highly specific morphological differences on characters such as ovary pubescence or leaf sclerenchyma patterns. The taxonomy of the genus is ultimately problematic and controversial, as evidenced by the large number of small genera closely related to Festuca. The annual habit and shorter anthers of Vulpia has since been enough to distinguish Vulpia as a separate genus from Festuca. For example, in 1906 the subgenus Vulpia was introduced for North American species. Since Linnaeus' publications, seven genera have been proposed for groups of perennial fescues and fifteen for annual fescues, all with varying degrees of acceptance. The first major monograph on the genus was Hackel's "Monographia Festucarum Europaearum" in 1882. Of these eleven, one species was Danthonia, one Poa, and one Koeleria. In 1753 the genus is accepted as first being formally described, in Linnaeus' "Species Plantarum". In the first edition of "Genera Plantarum", Linnaeus describes seven species of Festuca, five of which are truly Bromus grasses with the other two being Festuca gigantea and Festuca pratensis. Other authors before Linnaeus used the name to describe other various species of Bromus. However, the plant Dodoens described as Festuca altera is truly Bromus secalinus. The word Festuca first appears to describe grasses in Dodoens' "Stirpium historiae pemptades sex, sive libri XXX" in 1583.
The word " festuca" is a Latin word meaning "stem" or "stalk" first used by Pliny the Elder to describe a weed. The ancient group has produced various segregates that possess more advanced characteristics than Festuca, including racemose inflorescences and more annual habits.
The genus Festuca represents a major evolutionary line of the tribe Poeae. įescue pollen is a significant contributor to hay fever. As a result, plant taxonomists have moved several species, including the forage grasses tall fescue and meadow fescue, from the genus Festuca into the genus Lolium, or alternatively into the segregate genus Schedonorus.īecause the taxonomy is complex, scientists have not determined how many true species belong to the genus, but estimates range from more than 400 to over 640.
The genus is closely related to ryegrass ( Lolium), and recent evidence from phylogenetic studies using DNA sequencing of plant mitochondrial DNA shows that the genus lacks monophyly. They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of 10–200 cm (4–79 in) and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. For the woodlouse genus, see Helleria (woodlouse).įestuca ( fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae).
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