Festuca

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).