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    Home»Herbs and Spices»Facts about Tall Fescue
    Herbs and Spices

    Facts about Tall Fescue

    By SylviaFebruary 13, 2020Updated:February 14, 2020No Comments9 Mins Read
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    Tall fescue scientifically known as Festuca arundinacea   is a coarse textured grass tolerant to a wide variation in environmental conditions. It is a cool-season perennial C3 species of bunchgrass belonging to Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae (Grass family). The plant is native to Northern Africa (i.e. northern Algeria, northern Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), the Azores, all of Europe, continental United States, southern Canada, western Asia and Pakistan. It is an important forage grass throughout Europe, and many cultivars have been used in agriculture. It is also an ornamental grass in gardens, and a phytoremediation plant. Reed fescue, alta fescue, coarse fescue, rescue, tall fescue, Kentucky fescue, New Zealand tall fescue and tall meadow fescue are some of the popular common names of the plant.

    Genus name comes from the Latin word meaning a grass stalk or straw. Specific epithet means resembling a reed. Tall fescue spreads through tillering and seed transmission not by stolons or rhizomes, which are common in many grass species. However, tall fescue may have numerous sterile shoots that extend the width of each bunch. There are approximately 227,000 seeds per pound. It has a bunch-type growth habit that causes it to appear clumped and upright. It does not spread rapidly because of its lack of underground stolons or rhizomes. Therefore, re-seeding is a common practice to repair damaged areas and thin spots. Tall fescue does best where there are mild winters and warm summers.

    Tall Fescue Facts

    Tall fescue Quick Facts
    Name: Tall fescue
    Scientific Name: Festuca arundinacea
    Origin Northern Africa, the Azores, all of Europe, continental United States, southern Canada, western Asia and Pakistan.
    Shapes 0.25 to 0.4 inch long (6 to 10 mm) and 0.04 to 0.06 inch wide (1 to 1.5 mm) at the midpoint (Seed)
    Name Tall fescue
    Scientific Name Festuca arundinacea
    Native Northern Africa (i.e. northern Algeria, northern Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), the Azores, all of Europe, continental United States, southern Canada, western Asia and Pakistan
    Common Names Reed fescue, alta fescue, coarse fescue, rescue, tall fescue, Kentucky fescue, New Zealand tall fescue, tall meadow fescue
    Name in Other Languages Albanian: Bimla si kallam, bishtpelëz, bishtpelëza si kallam
    Arabic:  fusatawkat qasabia (فستوكة قصبية)
    Bulgarian: Trŭstikovidna vlasatka (тръстиковидна власатка)
    Catalan: Fenal, Fenàs, Fenàs d’aigua, Festuca, Festuca arundinàcia, Llistó, Pèl de cavall
    Chinese:   wei zhuang yang mao (苇状羊茅)
    Croatian:  Vlasulja barska, Vlasulja trstikasta, trstasta vlasulja
    Czech:  Kostřava rákosovitá
    Danish:  Strandsvingel, Strand-svingel
    Dutch:  Rietzwenkgras
    English:   Alta fescue, Reed fescue, Tall fescue, coarse fescue, Kentucky fescue
    Estonian: Roog-aruhein
    Finnish: Ruokonata
    French:  Fétuque élevée, Fétuque faux roseau, Fétuque roseau
    German:  Rohrschwingel, Rohr-Schwingel, großer Schwingel,  Uechtritz-Rohr-Schwingel,
    Greek:  Festoúka ypsilí  (Φεστούκα υψηλή), Festoúka i kalamoeidís (Φεστούκα η καλαμοειδής)
    Hebrew:  Ben afar matzuy, בן-אפר מצוי,  בֶּן=אֲפָר מָצוּי
    Hungarian:  Nàdas csenkesz, nádképű csenkesz, Nádképű csenkesz alfaja
    Italian:  Festuca falascona, festuca arundinacea, festuca alta, festuca falsa canna,
    Japanese: Oni ushi no kegusa (オニウシノケグサ),   Tōrufesuku (トールフェスク)
    Latvian: Festuca falsa canna
    Lithuanian: Nendrinis eraičinas
    Maltese: Żwien
    Netherlands: Rietzwenkgras
    Norwegian: Strandsvingel
    Occitan: Bramarello
    Polish:  Kostrzewa trzcinowa
    Portuguese:  Erva-corneira, Festuca-alta, erva-carneira
    Russian:  Ovsianitsa trostnikovaia (Овсяница тростниковая), ovsyanitsa trostnikovidnaya (овсяница тростниковидная), ovsyanichnik trostnikovyy (овсяничник тростниковый)
    Serbian: Visoka vlasul̂a (висока власуља)
    Slovak: Kostrava trsťovitá
    Slovenian:  Trstikasta bilnica
    Spanish:  Cañuela alta, Cañuela descollada, Festuca alta, Festuca canosa, Festuca descollada, zacate fescue, cañuela, festuca canosa, lastón
    Swedish:  Rörsvingel, Strandsvingel
    Turkish:  Kamışsı yumak                   
    Ukrainian: kostrytsya ocheretyana (костриця очеретяна), костриця східна (костриця східна)
    Plant Growth Habit Cool season, densely cespitose to short-rhizomatous, long-lived, aggressive perennial grass
    Growing Climates Heathland, woodland, riparian habitats, freshwater, saline wetlands, moist forests, reed swamps, riparian habitats, seashores, meadows, salt marshes, cliff tops, moist grassland, reed swamps, coastal scrub, roadsides, ditches, grazed woods and railroad tracks
    Soil Grows best on deep, moist soils that are heavy to medium in texture and high in organic matter. It can grow under conditions ranging from excessively drained to poorly drained, and can tolerate long periods of flooding
    Plant Size Up to 6 ft. (1.8 m)
    Root Roots are tough and coarse and can penetrate moist soils to a depth of 150 cm, some varieties may have short rhizomes
    Stem Erect stems are hollow and can be up to 2 m tall and
    end in a broad, loosely branched panicle with variations that can be narrow with short branches 10 to 35 cm long
    Leaf Mostly basal, flat, 4 to 18 in. (10.2-45.7 cm) long with whitish to yellow-green, flared collars. The mid vein is not noticeable
    Flowering season June-July
    Flower Inflorescence is paniculate, open, 13–3 cm long, to 6 cm wide, rachis smooth, occasionally scabrous, glabrous. Spikelets is 10–17 mm long, to 8 mm wide, florets 4–8, uppermost floret often ruduced
    Fruit Shape & Size Fruit is a caryopsis
    Seed About 5 to 7 seeds are produced per spikelet.
    Propagation By seed and increases vegetative

    Plant Description

    Tall fescue is a cool season, densely cespitose to short-rhizomatous, long-lived, aggressive perennial grass that normally grows about 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall. The plant is found growing in heathland, woodland, riparian habitats, freshwater, saline wetlands, moist forests, reed swamps, riparian habitats, seashores, meadows, salt marshes, cliff tops, moist grassland, reed swamps, coastal scrub, roadsides, ditches, grazed woods and railroad tracks. The plant grows best on deep, moist soils that are heavy to medium in texture and high in organic matter. It can grow under conditions ranging from excessively drained to poorly drained, and can tolerate long periods of flooding. Roots are tough and coarse and can penetrate moist soils to a depth of 150 cm; some varieties may have short rhizomes.

    Stem

    Flowering shoots produce hollow stems comprised of distinct nodes and internodes jointly called the culm. Culms usually are erect, stout, smooth, and up to 6 feet (2 m) tall. Uppermost culm segment supporting the panicle-type inflorescence is the peduncle. The stem base commonly is reddish.

    Leaves

    Leaves of tall fescue are rolled in the bud (rolled vernation). Blades are 0.1 to 0.5 inch (3 to 12 mm) wide and 4 to 24 inches (10 to 60 cm) long.  They are prominently ridged on the upper surface and glossy on the lower surface. Leaves taper to the tip, and margins are rough and cutting to the touch. Leaf sheaths are smooth, split (overlapping at the top), and reddish at the base.

    Tall Fescue Image Gallery
    Flowerheads-of-Tall-fescue Flowerheads-of-Tall-fescue
    Leaf-blade-of-Tall-Fescue Leaf-blade-of-Tall-Fescue
    Leaves-of-Tall-fescue-plant Leaves-of-Tall-fescue-plant
    Plant-Illustration-of-Tall-Fescue Plant-Illustration-of-Tall-Fescue
    Root-of-Tall-fescue-plant Root-of-Tall-fescue-plant
    Seeds-of-Tall-fescue Seeds-of-Tall-fescue
    Sketch-of-Tall-fescue-plant Sketch-of-Tall-fescue-plant
    Small-Tall-fescue-plant Small-Tall-fescue-plant
    Spikelets-of-tall-fescue Spikelets-of-tall-fescue
    Stem-of-Tall-fescue Stem-of-Tall-fescue
    Tall-Fescue-florets-with-exerted-stigmas-and-anthers Tall-Fescue-florets-with-exerted-stigmas-and-anthers
    Tall-fescue-plant Tall-fescue-plant
    Tall-fescue-plant-growing-wild Tall-fescue-plant-growing-wild
    Tall-fescue-seedhead Tall-fescue-seedhead
    Young-spikelets-of-Tall-Fescue Young-spikelets-of-Tall-Fescue

    Flower

    Inflorescence is paniculate, open, 13–3 cm long, to 6 cm wide, rachis smooth, occasionally scabrous, glabrous. Spikelets is 10–17 mm long, to 8 mm wide, florets 4–8, uppermost floret often ruduced; pedicels 1–5 mm long, scabrous, glabrous. Glumes are unequal, acute, awnless, membranous, smooth, and glabrous; lower lanceolate, 3–6 mm long. Upper glume is lanceolate to oblong, 5–7 mm long. Lemmas are lanceolate, 5.5–9.5 mm long, acute, or mucronate, or awned, rounded on back, upper 50% often keeled, central nerve often lightly scabrous, upper margin mambranous, smooth, glabrous, awn terminal or sub-terminal, straight, to 2.5 mm long, scabrous; callus glabrous; palea sub equal to lemma, acute or 2-toothed, 2-keeled, keels lightly scabrous, glabrous.

    Seed

    The lemmas have awns 0.04 to 0.16 inch long (1 to 4 mm). Seeds per pound average 220,000 (484,000 per kg), with a range of 176,000 to 261,000 per pound (387,000 to 574,000 per kg). Tall fescue seeds are 0.25 to 0.4 inch long (6 to 10 mm) and 0.04 to 0.06 inch wide (1 to 1.5 mm) at the midpoint.

    Few Facts about Tall Fescue

    • Tall fescue is widely used as a reliable hay, silage and pasture grass for feeding livestock.
    • Tall fescue has been planted for erosion control; however it has been shown to have similar, or even lesser, effectiveness in this regard than other grass species.
    • There is approximately 500,000 seeds kg-1, but this number will vary with the cultivar.

    Prevention and Control

    Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product’s label.

    Eradication

    Eradication of tall fescue greatly improves the opportunity to provide diverse grasslands capable of supporting more robust and healthier wildlife populations. The two methods most frequently used are herbicide application and/or conventional tillage. In choosing a method, consideration should be given to the availability of equipment, potential for soil erosion, the type of vegetation to be re-seeded, and cost.

    Tall fescue is very difficult to totally eradicate. It is not always practical or necessary to remove all fescue plants. Rather, the goal should be to keep most growth suppressed so that other more beneficial and diverse vegetation types can become available to support the needs of wildlife. Once a site has been renovated, frequent mowing, deep tillage and autumn burning should be avoided as these practices will accelerate tall fescue re-infestation.

    Cultural Control and Sanitary Measures

    Although tall fescue is tough to eradicate without using herbicides, conventional tillage can be used for growth suppression. It is best adapted for use on non-erosive sites. The most effective method is to plough the sod in the autumn and allow the fescue rhizomes to remain exposed to freezing conditions throughout the winter months. As soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, the site should be disked down and allowed to green-up with whatever germinates. Further disking then kills off the vegetation; only the top 5-7.5 cm of the soil should be disturbed as deeper disking will only bring more fescue seed up into the germination zone. The field should be allowed to green-up again before another pass of shallow disking prior to reseeding (Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife, 2006).

    Chemical Control

    Herbicides can be used for tall fescue eradication usually on any site, but are strongly recommended for use on highly erosive soils and slopes where soil disturbance may cause or exacerbate erosion problems. Another advantage is that only one passes with spraying equipment is needed in most situations. Best results are obtained by spraying when fescue plants are actively growing and are approximately 15-30 cm in height; prior to herbicide treatment, the fescue should be mowed, grazed or burned and allowed to regrow to that height. This will reduce the amount of non-target residue (dead, leafy material) and ensure the maximum exposure of new growth to herbicide contact. For sites scheduled to be reseeded to a cool-season grass/legume mixture, two applications of glyphosate are recommended (autumn and spring), while for sites to be reseeded to a warm-season grass/forb mixture, glyphosate or an imidazole herbicide such as imazapic alone or in combination can be used.

    References:

    https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=784875#null

    http://www.hear.org/pier/species/festuca_arundinacea.htm

    https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=16631

    https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/23983

    https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=272976&isprofile=0&

    http://www.floracatalana.net/festuca-arundinacea-schreber

    https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SCAR7

    http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-414517

    https://www.ipmimages.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3037

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festuca_arundinacea

    https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/festuca-arundinacea-profile/

    http://www.maltawildplants.com/POAC/Schedonorus_arundinaceus.php

    https://www.invasive.org/gist/esadocs/documnts/festaru.pdf

    https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/FESAR

    https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/166094/p256.pdf

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    Tall fescue Scientific Classification

    Scientific Name: Festuca arundinacea

    Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
    Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
    Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
    Super Division Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
    Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
    Sub Division Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
    Class Liliopsida (Monocotyledons)
    Sub Class Commelinidae
    Super Order Lilianae  (monocots, monocotyledons, monocotylédones)
    Order Cyperales
    Family Poaceae ⁄ Gramineae (Grass family)
    Genus Schedonorus P. Beauv. (fescue)
    Species Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort., nom. cons. (tall fescue)
    Synonyms
    • Aira oryzetorum Spreng
    • Avena secunda Salisb
    • Brachypodium interruptum (Desf.) Roem. & Schult
    • Bromus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Roth
    • Bromus decolarans Rchb
    • Bromus elatior (L.) Koeler
    • Bromus elatus Gueldenst. ex Ledeb
    • Bromus littoreus Retz
    • Bucetum elatius (L.) Parn
    • Bucetum elatius var. variegatum Parn
    • Festuca articulata De Not. ex Parl
    • Festuca arundinacea var. aristata Regel
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. arundinacea
    • Festuca arundinacea var. aspera (Mutel) Asch. & Graebn
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. atlantigena (St.-Yves) Auquier
    • Festuca arundinacea f. baltica (Asch. & Graebn.) Beldie
    • Festuca arundinacea var. baltica Asch. & Graebn
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. cirtensis (St.-Yves) Gamisans
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. conferta (Hack.) Soják
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. corsica (Hack.) Kerguélen
    • Festuca arundinacea var. corsica (Hack.) Kerguélen
    • Festuca arundinacea var. decolorans (Rchb.) Mert. ex W.D.J. Koch
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. fenas (Lag.) Arcang
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. fenas (Lag.) Bornm
    • Festuca arundinacea var. glaucescens Boiss
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. interrupta (Desf.) Tzvelev
    • Festuca arundinacea var. interrupta (Desf.) Coss. & Durieu
    • Festuca arundinacea var. letourneuxiana (St.-Yves) Torrec
    • Festuca arundinacea var. letourneuxii (St.-Yves) Torrec. & Catalán           
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. mediterranea (Hack.) Franco & Rocha Afonso
    • Festuca arundinacea var. mediterranea (Hack.) Asch. & Graebn
    • Festuca arundinacea f. obtusiflora (Schur) Beldie
    • Festuca arundinacea var. obtusiflora Schur
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. orientalis (Hack.) Tzvelev
    • Festuca arundinacea var. podperae Soó               
    • Festuca arundinacea f. pseudomairei (Litard. & Maire) Auquier 
    • Festuca arundinacea subsp. uechtritziana (Wiesb.) Hegi
    • Festuca arundinacea var. uechtritziana (Wiesb.) Beck
    • Festuca caerulescens Ten
    • Festuca cretica Hack. Ex Nyman
    • Festuca decolorans Mert. & W.D.J.Koch
    • Festuca decolorans (Rchb.) Mert. & Koch ex Kunth
    • Festuca elatior L
    • Festuca elatior subsp. arundinacea (Schreb.) Celak
    • Festuca elatior var. arundinacea (Schreb.) Wimm
    • Festuca elatior var. arundinacea Schreb
    • Festuca elatior var. aspera Mutel
    • Festuca elatior var. atlantigena St.-Yves
    • Festuca elatior var. cirtensis St.-Yves       Synonym             L              WCSP    2012-03-23
    • Festuca elatior f. elatior               
    • Festuca elatior var. elbursiana Vetter
    • Festuca elatior var. fenas (Lag.) Hack
    • Festuca elatior var. glaucescens (Boiss.) Hack
    • Festuca elatior var. interrupta (Desf.) Cout
    • Festuca elatior var. letourneuxii St.-Yves              
    • Festuca elatior var. littorea (Retz.) Lilj
    • Festuca elatior var. minutiflora (St.-Yves) Litard
    • Festuca elatior var. mutica Chevall
    • Festuca elatior f. pseudomairei Litard. & Maire
    • Festuca elatior var. uechtritziana Hack
    • Festuca fenas Lag
    • Festuca fenas subsp. atlantigena (St.-Yves) Cebolla & Rivas Ponce
    • Festuca fenas var. conferta (Hack.) K. Richt
    • Festuca fenas var. corsica (Hack.) K. Richt
    • Festuca interrupta Desf
    • Festuca laxa Gaudin
    • Festuca littorea (Retz.) Lilj
    • Festuca loliacea Lam
    • Festuca mediterranea (K.Richt.) Rouy
    • Festuca orientalis (Hack.) Krecz. & Bobrov
    • Festuca oryzetorum Pollini
    • Festuca pauneroi Cebolla, López Rodr. & Rivas Ponce
    • Festuca phoenix (Scop.) Vill
    • Festuca pseudololiacea Hack.
    • Festuca regeliana Pavlov
    • Festuca regelii Pavlov
    • Festuca simplex Boiss. & Bal
    • Festuca tenax Link
    • Festuca uechtritziana Wiesb
    • Festuca uechtritziana var. aristata Podp
    • Gnomonia elatior (L.) Lunell
    • Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh
    • Lolium festuca Raspail
    • Poa curvata Koeler
    • Poa elatior (L.) Moench
    • Poa fenas (Lag.) Steud
    • Poa kunthii Lindm
    • Poa phoenix Scop
    • Poa remota Kunth
    • Poa tenax Link
    • Poa uliginosa Willd. ex Spreng
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus subsp. atlantigenus (St.-Yves) H.Scholz
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus subsp. cirtensis (St.-Yves) H.Scholz & Valdés
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus subsp. corsicus (Hack.) H. Scholz & Valdés
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus subsp. fenas (Lag.) H.Scholz
    • Schedonorus arundinaceus subsp. uechtritzianus (Wiesb.) H.Scholz & Valdés
    • Schedonorus elatior (L.) P.Beauv
    • Schedonorus interruptus (Desf.) Tzvelev             
    • Schedonorus littoreus (Retz.) Tzvelev
    • Schedonorus pauneroi (Cebolla, J.A. López & Rivas Ponce) H. Scholz & Valdés
    • Schedonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub
    • Schedonorus uechtritzianus (Wiesb.) Holub
    • Tragus elatior (L.) Panz
    • Tragus loliaceus (Lam.) Panz. ex B.D.Jacks
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