Description:

• Annual or perennial, tufted or decumbent, rhizomatous; sometimes dioecious
• Leaf blade expanded, folded or rolled, linear to linear-lanceolate, often auricled; sheaths often splitting into fibres at base with age; ligule an unfringed membrane, often conspicuous
• Inflorescence an open or contracted panicle, sometimes spike-like; spikelets solitary, not secund, pedicelled
• Spikelet 6-20 mm long, laterally compressed, disarticulating above glumes, rachilla extension present; glumes unequal, shorter than spikelet, similar, membranous, awnless, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, 1-3-nerved or upper glume (1-)3-5-nerved, keeled to rounded, often scabrid on keel
• Florets (rarely 1)2-14, bisexual or uppermost floret reduced and sterile; lemma 3.5-11.0 mm long, similar to firmer than glumes, lanceolate, rounded on back, at least at base, membranous, usually glabrous, rarely shortly hairy, 3-7-nerved, tip firm, acute, entire, awnless or awned at apex or rarely below; awn straight, usually shorter than body of lemma; palea ± equal to lemma, lanceolate, 2-keeled, almost hyaline, keels ± scaberulous
• Lodicules 2, unequally 2-lobed, hyaline
• Stamens 3
• Ovary minutely hairy upwards or only at apex, rarely glabrous; styles distinct, very short, terminal or subterminal, plumose
• x = 7 (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• Festuca L.
  • Linnaeus: 73 (1753)
  • Stapf: 719 (1900)
  • Chippindall: 53 (1955)
  • Clayton: 56 (1970)
  • Launert: 54 (1971)
  • Clayton & Renvoize: 93 (1986)
  • Linder: 61 (1986)
  • Gibbs Russell et al.: 168 (1990)
  • Watson & Dallwitz: 409 (1994)
• Pseudobromus K.Schum.
  • Schumann: 108 (1895)
  • Clayton: 53 (1970)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Species ± 450, temperate areas throughout the world, extending through tropics on mountain tops
• Southern Africa: Species 9, mainly high eastern regions