Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Monocots: Commelinids: Poales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium arundinaceum
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.
Tall Fescue grows up to 4 feet tall, sometimes 5 feet. 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 branches swept towards the ground. The spikelets have 3-6 florets and lack awns. Learn more at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schedonorus arundinaceus
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium arundinaceum
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24 (2007)
Schedonorus arundinaceus
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium arundinaceum
INCLUDED WITHIN & NOM. UTIQUE REJ. 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. arundinacea
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Festuca arundinacea
INCLUDED WITHIN & NOM. UTIQUE REJ. Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Festuca elatior
(?) -
Schedonorus phoenix
COMMON NAME:
Tall Fescue, Alta Fescue
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_loar10_002_lvd
The best generic placement of this and S. pratensis is disputed, per Weakley's Flora (2018).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmfarundinacea_home1
April Anderson County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5161
May Transylvania County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5164
May Transylvania County NC
Introduced for forage and roadside seeding, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5169
May Transylvania County NC
Inflorescence long (to 1') & rather slender w short branches; often leaning, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm200522_5169b
May Transylvania County NC
Spikelets have 3-6 florets and lack awns. L. pratense is very similar, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm210507_0008
May Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmfarundinacea_cc
May Collier County FL
Spikelets 10-25mm long, ellipsoid with a pointed tip, short stalked, per Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lolium arundinaceum
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Schedonorus arundinaceus
FAMILY
Poaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lolium arundinaceum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 24
Schedonorus arundinaceus
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lolium arundinaceum
INCLUDED WITHIN & NOM. UTIQUE REJ.
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. arundinacea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Grasses of the US (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950)
Festuca arundinacea
INCLUDED WITHIN & NOM. UTIQUE REJ.
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Festuca elatior
(?)
-
Schedonorus phoenix
566
Grass, Sedge, or Rush
Perennial
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Eurasia
Common
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal & low alternate, 2-ranked
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Inflorescence a panicle
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Grain reddish
Grain
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses (Miller & Miller, 2005) p226
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p397
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p092
- Manual of the Grasses of the United States (Hitchcock & Chase, 1950) p067
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