Tall Bearded Fescue

Giant Fescue is common in damp shady places. 1700-3300 m.

Plant loosely tufted, usually with old brownish sheaths at base; shoots extravaginal. Culms 45–150 cm tall, nodes (1–)2–3. Leaf sheaths glabrous or scabrid; auricles falcate; leaf blades dark green, flat, (10–)15–35(–50) cm × 6–18 mm, midrib conspicuous, margins scabrid, veins 26–36; adaxial to abaxial sclerenchyma strands present; ligule (0.5–)1–1.5(–2.5) mm, margin glabrous. Panicle loose, open, 15–25(–50) cm; branches flexuous, 5–10(–15) cm, paired, unequal, shorter with 3–6 spikelets, longer with 6–9 spikelets, lower 1/3 naked. Spikelets 8–13(–20) mm; florets 3–10; glumes smooth or scabrid; lower glume lanceolate, (3.5–)4–7 mm; upper glume broadly lanceolate, 5–8 mm; rachilla internodes 1.3–1.8 mm, scabrid; lemmas 6–7.5(–9) mm, scabrid, apex entire or slightly notched; awns (6–)10–15(–18) mm; palea keels scaberulous. Anthers 2.5–3 mm. Ovary apex glabrous. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug. 2n = 42.

Loosely tufted perennial without rhizomes; culms 45-150 cm high, erect or spreading, usually stout. Leaf- blades flat, up to 60 cm long, 6-18 mm wide, bright green, smooth and glossy beneath, sometimes scaberulous above; ligule up to 2.5 mm long, with prominent glabrous falcate auricles. Panicle lanceolate to ovate, loose and nodding, 10-50cm long, the branches scabrid. Spikelets 3-10-flowered, 8-13(-20)mm long (excluding the awns); lower glume 4-7mm long, 1-3-nerved; upper glume 5-8 mm long, 3-nerved; lemmas lanceolate in side-view, 6-9mm long, minutely scaberulous, with an awn 10-18 mm long; palea scabrid along the keels; anthers 2.5-3mm long; ovary glabrous.

Europe, temperate Asia, introduced into N. America.

Sichuan, Xinjiang (Tian Shan), Yunnan [Bhutan, NW India, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan; SW Asia, Europe; cultivated North America].

Distribution: Pakistan (N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Europe and temperate Asia; intro¬duced in North America.

2300-2600 m

Fl. & Per. : July-August.

Damp shady places along forest margins, grasslands, under shrubs; 1000–3800 m.

Bromus giganteus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 77. 1753; Lolium giganteum (Linnaeus) Darbyshire.