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meadow fescue

Festuca pratensis

Summary 7

Festuca pratensis, the meadow fescue, ( syn. Bromus pratensis (Huds.) Spreng., Bucetum pratense (Huds.) Parn., Festuca fluitans L. var. pratensis (Huds.) Huds., Festuca elatior L. subsp. pratensis (Huds.) Hack., Lolium pratense (Huds.) Darbysh., Tragus pratensis (Huds.) Panz. ex B.D.Jacks., and Schedonorus pratensis (Huds.) P.Beauv.) is a perennial species of grass, which is often used as an ornamental grass in gardens, and is also an important forage crop.

Range and habitat in illinois 8

Meadow Fescue occurs in every county of Illinois, where it is quite common (see Distribution Map). This grass was introduced from Eurasia as a source of pasturage and hay for farm animals, and it is still used for this purpose. Habitats include prairie remnants, degraded meadows, woodland borders, thickets, lawns, vacant lots, city parks, sunny fence rows, abandoned fields, pastures, grassy areas along railroads and roadsides, grassy banks along bridges and highway overpasses, banks of rivers and ditches, and waste areas. In spite of its aggressive nature (or perhaps because of it), Meadow Fescue has been planted by state and local highway departments as a source of grassy cover along roads and for erosion control along the banks of bridges and rivers. However, running water often erodes the soil underneath the root mass of Meadow Fescue, causing the entire bank to collapse into the river or its floodplain. This grass is also used in athletic fields because of its resistance to trampling and hot dry weather. Sometimes Meadow Fescue invades prairies, where it becomes a troublesome weed to ecologists. Faunal Associations

Description 9

More info for the terms: caespitose, caryopsis

Botanical description: This description covers characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (e.g., [3,20,21,33,39,41,53,61,66,103]).

Meadow fescue is a loosely to densely tufted perennial grass. Culms are 12 to 47 inches (30-120 cm) long and may be erect or spreading. Leaf blades are flat and up to 18 inches (45 cm) long. The panicle is 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) long with 10- to 20-mm-long spikelets [2]. The fruit is a caryopsis [28]. Seeds usually lack awns [2].

 

In field sites in Germany, meadow fescue roots penetrated 3 inches (8 cm) in loamy fluvial sediments [38]. Rhizomatous character varies. Floras from Montana [53] and Utah [106] report that meadow fescue has short rhizomes, while a flora from Canada [1] states that it may or may not have short rhizomes. A flora from the Great Plains [35] reports that it is caespitose to short-rhizomatous. The Flora of Pakistan [2] reports that meadow fescue lacks rhizomes.

Synonym 10

Festuca elatior Linnaeus subsp. pratensis (Hudson) Hackel; F. elatior var. pratensis (Hudson) A. Gray; F. fluitans Linnaeus var. pratensis (Hudson) Hudson; Lolium pratense (Hudson) Darbyshire; Schedonorus pratensis (Hudson) P. Beauvois.

Range and habitat in illinois 11

Meadow Fescue occurs in every county of Illinois, where it is quite common (see Distribution Map). This grass was introduced from Eurasia as a source of pasturage and hay for farm animals, and it is still used for this purpose. Habitats include prairie remnants, degraded meadows, woodland borders, thickets, lawns, vacant lots, city parks, sunny fence rows, abandoned fields, pastures, grassy areas along railroads and roadsides, grassy banks along bridges and highway overpasses, banks of rivers and ditches, and waste areas. In spite of its aggressive nature (or perhaps because of it), Meadow Fescue has been planted by state and local highway departments as a source of grassy cover along roads and for erosion control along the banks of bridges and rivers. However, running water often erodes the soil underneath the root mass of Meadow Fescue, causing the entire bank to collapse into the river or its floodplain. This grass is also used in athletic fields because of its resistance to trampling and hot dry weather. Sometimes Meadow Fescue invades prairies, where it becomes a troublesome weed to ecologists. Faunal Associations

Fire management considerations 12

More info for the terms: cool-season, cover, fire suppression, forbs, frequency, mesic, prescribed fire, presence, relative frequency, restoration, severity, warm-season

Potential for postfire establishment and spread: Meadow fescue does not seem likely to establish in burned areas via seed from either on-site or off-site sources. It does not form a persistent seed bank and seed dispersal appears limited. However, the presence of grazing livestock or the use of fire-related machinery or equipment may increase the potential for meadow fescue seed to be dispersed into a burned area if parent sources are nearby (see Seed dispersal). Though meadow fescue often establishes in disturbed areas (see Successional Status), it is not clear what characteristics of disturbed areas are conducive to meadow fescue growth and persistence. There were no reports in the available literature (2010) documenting populations of meadow fescue spreading into a burned area, but seedling establishment and, for some populations, vegetative spread from short rhizomes may occur.

Preventing postfire establishment and spread: Preventing seed dispersal via livestock or machinery may reduce meadow fescue establishment and spread after fire. Meadow fescue populations adjacent to a burned area provide a likely seed source and may spread vegetatively into burned areas. The reportedly slow establishment of meadow fescue seedlings [47,67] may improve the likelihood of early eradication. Preventing invasive plants from establishing in weed-free burned areas is the most effective and least costly management method. This may be accomplished through early detection and eradication, careful monitoring and follow-up, and limiting dispersal of invasive plant seed into burned areas. General recommendations for preventing postfire establishment and spread of invasive plants include:

  • Incorporate cost of weed prevention and management into fire rehabilitation plans
  • Acquire restoration funding
  • Include weed prevention education in fire training
  • Minimize soil disturbance and vegetation removal during fire suppression and rehabilitation activities
  • Minimize the use of retardants that may alter soil nutrient availability, such as those containing nitrogen and phosphorus
  • Avoid areas dominated by high priority invasive plants when locating firelines, monitoring camps, staging areas, and helibases
  • Clean equipment and vehicles prior to entering burned areas
  • Regulate or prevent human and livestock entry into burned areas until desirable site vegetation has recovered sufficiently to resist invasion by undesirable vegetation
  • Monitor burned areas and areas of significant disturbance or traffic from management activity
  • Detect weeds early and eradicate before vegetative spread and/or seed dispersal
  • Eradicate small patches and contain or control large infestations within or adjacent to the burned area
  • Reestablish vegetation on bare ground as soon as possible
  • Avoid use of fertilizers in postfire rehabilitation and restoration
  • Use only certified weed-free seed mixes when revegetation is necessary

For more detailed information on these topics, see the following publications: [5,12,34,98].

Use of prescribed fire as a control agent: There is little evidence to suggest that prescribed fire is an effective tool for controlling meadow fescue, though information on this topic was limited as of 2010. In a mesic sand prairie in Illinois, there was no change in absolute frequency of meadow fescue following 2 years of spring prescribed fire. Absolute frequency of meadow fescue prior to fire was 0.62, compared to 0.65 and 0.63 2 to 3 months following fire in 2 different years [92]. Similarly, at an oak savanna restoration site in eastern Illinois, meadow fescue frequency did not change following 2 years of spring prescribed fire. The fires were considered high severity the 1st year and mixed severity the 2nd year. Meadow fescue's relative frequency was 0.65 the autumn prior to the 1st fire, 0.63 the autumn after the1st fire, and 0.69 the autumn after the 2nd fire [44].

Integrating prescribed fire with other treatments may increase the likelihood that control efforts will be effective. A vegetation management guide suggests that a combination of herbicide application and prescribed fire may effectively control meadow fescue. In areas with dense populations of meadow fescue, the guide recommends using prescribed fire after herbicide treatments in the spring when meadow fescue is growing but native grasses are dormant, assuming that meadow fescue emerges before native grasses. In areas with sparse populations of meadow fescue, this guide suggests using a prescribed fire in the late spring to eliminate young plants. Repeated fires for 2 to 4 years and spot application of herbicides on remaining meadow fescue plants may be necessary [86]. Integrated treatments, however, may not always control meadow fescue. One study in Great Smoky Mountains National Park combined mowing, herbicide application, prescribed fire, and seeding of native plant species to control nonnative grasses. There were no significant differences in meadow fescue frequency, cover, and biomass between treated and control plots 4 years after treatment. Managers were attempting to restore former pastures, which were dominated by meadow fescue and other nonnative pasture grasses, to plant communities dominated by native warm-season grasses and forbs. Treatment areas were mowed in the autumn of 1995. Glyphosate was applied after the 2nd frost, when native plants were dormant but cool-season grasses, including meadow fescue, were still growing. Native species were seeded in the spring of 1996. The sites were burned in the early springs of 1997 through 2000. Plots were sampled at the peak of the late growing season from 1995 to 2001. One and 2 years after treatments were initiated, meadow fescue frequency was 35% and 23% lower in treated plots, respectively (P=0.008). However, 4 years after treatments began, meadow fescue frequency, cover, and biomass did not differ between treated and control plots. The authors suggested that increased vegetative spread, seed production, or seedling establishment from surviving individuals may have been responsible for meadow fescue's recovery following control treatments. The authors cautioned that the time period of assessment (1-2 years versus 4 years) could greatly alter the inferences made from treatment results [74].

National nature serve conservation status 13

Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Synonyms 14

Festuca elatior subsp. pratensis (Huds.) Hack [2,108,109]

Festuca pratensis Huds. [2,20,21,33,35,39,41,53,61,66,83,103,106,108]

Festuca pratensis Huds. subsp. apennina (De Not.) Hegi [83]

Festuca pratensis var. apennina (De Not.) Hack [58]

Festuca pratensis Huds. subsp. pratensis [83]

Festuca pratensis var. pratensis [58]

Lolium pratense (Huds.) S.J. Darbyshire [49]

The name Festuca elatior has been misapplied to meadow fescue [33]. The Flora of North America [28] reports that F. elatior is a synonym for tall fescue (S. arundinaceus).

Comments 15

There are several cultivars of this grass that vary in their leaf width, overall size, and color of foliage. Some cultivars are marketed as a source of forage, while other cultivars are used to create sod. However, the sod that this Eurasian grass creates is rather coarse and uneven. Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis) is very similar in appearance to another Eurasian species, Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea). This latter species was considered a variety of Meadow Fescue (Festuca pratensis) in the past, rather than a distinct species. Tall Fescue has 4-5 lemmas per spikelet and its lemmas are 7-10 mm. in length. In contrast, Meadow Fescue has 5-11 lemmas per spikelet and its lemmas are 6-8 mm. in length. Other Fescue grasses (Festuca spp.) in Illinois have more narrow leaf blades (3 mm. or less across) or they have shorter lemmas (5 mm. long or less). Unlike Meadow Fescue, some of these species have conspicuous awns. Other scientific names that refer to Meadow Fescue include Festuca elatior, Schedonorus pratensis, and Lolium pratensis. The recent taxonomic history of this grass has been unstable.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) John B., some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/dendroica/8719236632/
  2. (c) Ingrid P. Lin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/services/media.php?env=botany&irn=10291153
  3. (c) licensed media from USDA PLANTS images without owner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/feel_002_lvd.jpg
  4. (c) "<a href=""http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/WLI/"">USDA NRCS Wetland Science Institute</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/fepr_001_lvp.jpg
  5. (c) "<a href=""http://www.wli.nrcs.usda.gov"">NRCS National Wetland Team, Fort Worth, TX</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://plants.usda.gov/gallery/large/fepr_002_lvd.jpg
  6. (c) "<a href=""http://nt.ars-grin.gov/"">ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory</a>.", some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?imageID=lopr7_001_ahp.tif
  7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festuca_pratensis
  8. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29448909
  9. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24633195
  10. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19791693
  11. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29448910
  12. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24633208
  13. (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28965757
  14. Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/24090389
  15. (c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/29448911

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