Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium pratense
FAMILY
Poaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Meadow Fescue grows up to 4 feet tall. The leaves are relatively sparse, up to a foot long. The inflorescence is long (up to a foot) and rather slender, with short branches; it often leans over with the branches swept towards the ground. The spikelets have 4-10 florets and lack awns. Read more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
(?)
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schedonorus pratensis
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium pratense
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24 (2007)
Schedonorus pratensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium pratense
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Festuca pratensis
INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-18-007?:
Festuca elatior FAMILY Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Festuca elatior var. pratensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Festuca elatior
INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Festuca elatior
COMMON NAME:
Meadow Fescue
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_feel_001_lvd
The best generic placement of this and S. arundinaceus is disputed, per Weakley's Flora (2018).
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950 pnd_feel_002_lvd
In Manual of the Grasses (Hitchcock & Chase) this is called Festuca elatior.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_fepr_002_lvd
)
Bruce A. Sorrie bas_s_pratensis1
May Moore County NC
Panicle erect, or summit nodding, branches spikelet-bearing nearly to base, per Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium pratense
FAMILY
Poaceae
(?)
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schedonorus pratensis
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium pratense
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24
Schedonorus pratensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium pratense
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Festuca pratensis
INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED)
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 029-18-007?:
Festuca elatior
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Festuca elatior var. pratensis
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Festuca elatior
INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Festuca elatior
1929
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Eurasia
Uncommon (rare in Coastal Plain)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal & low alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Inflorescence a panicle
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Grain reddish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".