| Sheep's Fescue | |
|---|---|
| Festuca ovina on left | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| (unranked): | Commelinids |
| Order: | Poales |
| Family: | Poaceae |
| Genus: | Festuca |
| Species: | F. ovina |
| Binomial name | |
| Festuca ovina L. |
|
Sheep's Fescue or Sheep Fescue (Festuca ovina) is a species of grass.
Contents |
It is a perennial plant sometimes found in acidic ground, for example in the Portlethen Moss, Scotland and mountain pasture, throughout Europe (with the exception of some Mediterranean areas) and eastwards across much of Asia; it has also been introduced to North America [1].
It is sometimes used as a drought-tolerant lawn grass.[2]
Sheep's fescue is a densely tufted perennial grass. Its greyish green leaves are short and bristle-like. The panicles are both slightly feathery and a bit one-sided. It flowers from May until June, and is wind pollinated.
This is one of the food plants for the caterpillars of several butterflies and moths, including the Gatekeeper and the Meadow Brown, the Small Heath, and the grass moth Agriphila inquinatella.
Sheep's fescue is a drought-resistant grass, commonly found on poor, well-drained mineral soil. More colourful garden varieties with blue-grey foliage are available.
The Gatekeeper Butterfly feeds on it.
