FESCUE (corrupt. of Testa, OFr. Testa, Lat. jestuca, straw, stalk), Testae°. A genus of grasses, very nearly allied to brome-grass (q.v.). The species are numerous, and are very widely diffused over the world, both in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Among them are many of the most valuable pasture and fodder grasses. Tall or meadow fescue (Testae° elatior), a species with spreading panicle and linear spike lets, front two to four feet tall, common in most meadows and pastures of rich soil in Great Brit ain and throughout Europe, in northern Asia, and in some parts of North America, is perhaps excelled by no meadow or pasture grass whatever. It is suitable both for meadows and for perma nent pasture. Testae° pratcnsis, by many bot anists regarded as a variety of meadow fescue, is an excellent grass for rich moist meadows. Hard fescue ( Fest yea du•iuseula), known by various other synonymous names, a grass from one and a half to two feet tall, with a somewhat con tracted pa niele, mostly on one side, is one of the best grasses for lawns and sheep pastures, par ticularly on dry or sandy soils. Several va rieties are known to scedsmen and farmers. Creeping, fescue, or red fescue (Testae(' rubra), is distinguished ehietly by its extensively creeping root, which particularly adapts it to sandy pas ture.: and to places liable to occasional Sheep's fescue (Pestura orina) is a smaller grass than any of these, not generally exceeding a foot in height, and often much less, abundant in mountainous pastures, and especially suitable for such situations, in which it often forms a prin cipal part of the food of sheep for many months of the year. It is common in all the mountainous
parts of Europe and in the II inialayas, and is also a native of North Ameriea. Species very simi lar to this, if not mere varieties of it, abound in the Southern Hemisphere. Its habit of growth is much tufted. Of species which have been ip introduced into cultivation in the United States and Great Britain, Festuca hetcrophylla, referred by some authors to various other specific names, best deserves notice. It is a tall species with narrow root-leaves, and broad leaves on the eulm. It is a native of France and other parts of the Continent of Europe, and is pretty extensively cultivated in some countries, particularly the Netherlands. A number of species abound in the Western United States, where they are important constituents in the range pastures. All these species are perennial. Some small annual species occasionally form a considerable part of the pasture in dry, sandy soils, but are never sown by the farmer. A Peruvian species, Festuca quadridcntata, called `pigoniP in its native country, and there used for thatch, is said to be poisonous to cattle.