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Tall Fescue

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Tall Fescue photos

Scientific Name:Festuca arundinacea
Tall Fescue plants
Tall Fescue plants
Photo: A J Brown

Status:

Native to Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia. Naturalised in temperate areas throughout most the rest of the world, including Australia

Plant Description:

A tufted perennial grass growing to 200 cm high. Leaves are dark green, hairless, strongly ribbed and flat, to 60 cm long and 12 mm wide. The membranous ligule, between stem and leaf is 0.5-2 mm long.

Flower-heads are 10-30 cm long, congested panicles. Spikelets are 3-10 flowered and 10-18 mm long.


Habitat:

Where growing naturally, Tall Fescue is commonly found in wet situations, such as in drains, on the margins of lakes or swamps, on river banks and in irrigation districts. Some forms and varieties have some salt tolerance.


RegionSalinity ClassWaterlogging Class
Central and Northern, Wimmera, Western, Gippsland S0, S1, S2W0, W1, W2, W3

Comments:

Tall Fescue has been widely used in the development of commercial fodder grasses with high winter production and summer drought tolerance. It has also been developed as a hard-wearing turf grass species.

Tall Fescue photos

Tall Fescue florets with exerted stigmas and anthers
Tall Fescue florets with exerted stigmas and anthers
Photo: A J Brown
Flower head of Tall Fescue
Flower head of Tall Fescue
Photo: A J Brown

Tall Fescue ligule
Tall Fescue ligule
Photo: A J Brown

Mature spikelets of Tall Fescue
Mature spikelets of Tall Fescue
Photo: A J Brown

Young spikelets of Tall Fescue
Young spikelets of Tall Fescue
Photo: A J Brown


Tall Fescue leaf blade
Tall Fescue leaf blade
Photo: A J Brown

Tall Fescue spikelets
Tall Fescue spikelets
Photo: A J Brown

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