FESCUE, the name given to the numerous and widely dis tributed perennial grasses of the botanical genus Festuca, found chiefly in temperate and cold regions, among which are several pasture and fodder grasses of agricultural importance. The most important of these is the tall or meadow fescue (F. elatior) common throughout Europe and in parts of Asia and widely cultivated and naturalized in the United States and Canada. It grows to a height of from 2 f t, to 5 ft., and is regarded as one of the most valuable grasses both for fodder and for permanent pasture. The red fescue (F. rubra), found throughout cool north temperate regions, is sometimes grown in meadows. The sheep's fescue (F. ovina), native to the Himalayas and certain mountain ous districts of Europe and North America, and widely natural ized in north temperate regions, is sometimes used in dry pastures and a form called the blue fescue (var. glauca), with silvery glaucous leaves, is grown for ornament.
The closely allied genus Bromus, which includes the brome grasses, is abundantly represented in north temperate regions, and various species are grown for forage and for ornamental purposes. Among those important agriculturally are the erect brome (B. erectus), useful as a forage grass on dry, chalky soil, and the awnless or Hungarian brome (B. inermis), grown for pastures and meadows. (See GRASSES.)