Schedonorus arundinaceus

(Schreb.) Dumort.
Common names: Tall fescue Fétuque élevée
Synonyms: Lolium arundinaceum Festuca elatior var. arundinacea Aristata Festuca elatior Festuca arundinacea
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 448.

Plants perennial, sometimes rhizomatous. Culms to 1.5(2) m. Leaves convolute in young shoots; auricles ciliate, having at least 1 or 2 hairs along the margins; ligules 1(2) mm; blades 11-30 cm long, 4-12 mm wide. Panicles 10-35 cm; branches at the lowest node usually 2, shorter branch with (1)2-9(13) spikelets, longer branch with (3)4-13(19) spikelets. Spikelets 8-15.5 mm long, 2-3.5 mm wide, with 3-6(9) florets. Lower glumes 3-6 mm; upper glumes 4.5-7(9) mm; lemmas (4)5-9(11.5) mm, usually scabrous or hispidulous, at least distally, rarely smooth, awns absent or to 4 mm, terminal or attached up to 0.4 mm below the apices; paleas slightly shorter than to slightly longer than the lemmas; anthers 2.5-4 mm. Caryopses 2-4 mm long, 0.9-1.6 mm wide. 2n = 28, 42, 56, 63, 70.

Distribution

Conn., N.J., N.Y., Wash., Del., D.C., Wis., W.Va., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), Md., Fla., Wyo., N.H., N.Mex., Tex., La., N.C., Kans., Nebr., Tenn., Alta., B.C., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), N.S., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Pa., Alaska, Nev., Va., Colo., Calif., Ala., Ark., Vt., Ill., Ga., Iowa, Okla., Ariz., Idaho, Maine, Mont., Oreg., Mass., Ohio, Utah, Mo., Minn., Mich., Miss., S.C., Ky., S.Dak.

Discussion

Schedonorus arundinaceus is a Eurasian species that has been introduced to the Flora region. It is grown for forage, soil stabilization, and coarse turf. It is now cultivated in all but the coldest and most arid parts of North America, and often escapes. It is frequently infected with the endophytic fungi Neotyphodium coenophialum, which confers insect and drought resistance to the plant, among other benefits; it also produces ergot alkaloids that are toxic to livestock. Varieties with endophyte strains that do not produce toxic ergot alkaloids have been developed (Nihsen et al. 2004).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Schedonorus arundinaceus"
Stephen J. Darbyshire +
(Schreb.) Dumort. +
Tall fescue +  and Fétuque élevée +
Conn. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Wash. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Wis. +, W.Va. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, Md. +, Fla. +, Wyo. +, N.H. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, N.C. +, Kans. +, Nebr. +, Tenn. +, Alta. +, B.C. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Pa. +, Alaska +, Nev. +, Va. +, Colo. +, Calif. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Vt. +, Ill. +, Ga. +, Iowa +, Okla. +, Ariz. +, Idaho +, Maine +, Mont. +, Oreg. +, Mass. +, Ohio +, Utah +, Mo. +, Minn. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, S.C. +, Ky. +  and S.Dak. +
Lolium arundinaceum +, Festuca elatior var. arundinacea +, Aristata +, Festuca elatior +  and Festuca arundinacea +
Schedonorus arundinaceus +
Schedonorus +
species +