Hard Fescue
HARD FESCUE (Festuca ovina L. var. duriuscula (L.) Koch.)Other Latin name: Festuca duriuscula L.
Hard Fescue is only a vigorous variety of Sheep's Fescue, with which it agrees in all essential points. It is a strongly tufted perennial with all its leaves rolled up like Sheep's Fescue, but the leaves of the basal shoots are longer, thicker and firmer in texture-hence the name Hard Fescue. The panicles and spikelets are a little larger, but no fixed marks can be given to distinguish this plant from ordinary Sheep's Fescue.
It has about the same geographical distribution and value. It is adapted to sandy soil but should not be grown unless the land is too poor for better grasses. The basal leaves being rather long, it may be used to a limited extent on poor land as a bottom grass for hay mixtures.
The seed of Hard Fescue is very like that of Sheep's Fescue but often has a bluish tint.