Common name: Chewings Fescue
Festuca nigrescens Lam. APNI* 
Description: Tufted perennial to 0.9 m high.
Leaves with ligule membranous, < 0.5 mm long, truncate; auricles, if present, membranous, rounded; blade tightly inrolled, glabrous to pubescent with hairs < 0.25 mm long.
Inflorescence open, 5–15 cm long, to 4 cm long, exserted. Spikelets 7–12 mm long, to 4 mm wide; florets 5–7, uppermost floret often reduced. Glumes unequal, awnless, sometimes scabrous towards apex, glabrous; lower 2–3 mm long, subulate; upper acute to acuminate. Lemmas lanceolate, 4–5 mm long, tapering to awn, round on back, smooth, glabrous, upper 30% often keeled, keel often scabrous; awn terminal, straight, 1–2 mm long, scabrous; callus glabrous. Palea subequal, acute, 2-keeled, keel and apex scabrous, glabrous.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Planted as a lawn grass or pasture. Native of Eur.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & K. L. McClay
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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