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fescue

fescue

2 7.7
A grass with wide flat leaves grown for pastures, hay, and lawns
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛs.kjuː/
translation icon : festuca
  • Kentucky-31 tall fescue, an old standard, covers 35 million acres of pastures in the Southeast.
  • tall fescue
  • fescue toxicosis
  • fescue grass

Examples

  • Several species of ryegrass, fescue, and bluegrass make up most of the turf and forage crops.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Agronomist David P. Belesky collects tall fescue samples from a pasture.

    Academic text (2000)
  • For some time, I had been noting dead patches of tall fescue in my research plots.

    Academic text (2002)
  • In return, the fescue gives the fungus a home and a way to get water, energy, and nutrients.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The new tall fescue lines resist rust disease up to 10 times better than existing varieties.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Two new lines of tall fescue will help growers combat another disease, stem rust.

    Academic text (1997)
  • The frost will make the tall fescue in the pastures very palatable for the cattle.

    Blog text (30)
  • But scientists don't know which alkaloids are responsible for fescue toxicosis.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Equally important, the fungus and fescue interact to produce an array of alkaloids that help the plant persist.

    Academic text (2000)
  • In the summer, the lawn is lush with fescue, making it a perfect place for picnics.

Synonyms

grass
vsfescue
521 1.0

A low green plant with narrow leaves that covers fields and lawns and is often eaten by animals

is a particular wide flat leaved cultivated plant for pasture and lawns
fescue grass
vsfescue
4.2

A grass with wide flat leaves grown for lawns and for animals to eat

is the exact same meaning used as the entry term
meadow fescue
vsfescue
6.8

A grass that lives for many years with wide flat leaves grown for animal grazing, hay, and lawns

is the general cultivated type rather than one named variety
Festuca elatior
vsfescue
  • Specialized
8.9

A grass with wide flat leaves grown in Europe and America for pasture, hay and lawns

is a broader cultivated category not a single species
Festuca
vsfescue
  • Specialized
8.9

A grass that grows in clumps and is used for lawns and grazing

is the specific cultivated type rather than the whole genus

Compounds

A grass with wide flat leaves grown for lawns and for animals to eat

A grass that lives for many years with wide flat leaves grown for animal grazing, hay, and lawns

sheep fescue
  • Specialized
7.5

A grass that grows on poor hills, feeds sheep, and suits lawns

sheep's fescue
  • Specialized
8.1

A grass with thin leaves that grows on hills and is used for sheep grazing and lawns

How Hardy

kikuyu grass
  • Australian
6.5
fescue
2 7.7
Kentucky bluegrass
  • Specialized
1 4.4
perennial ryegrass
  • Specialized
6.3

Surface Forms

fescue singular
fescues plural

Etymology

Fescue comes from the Latin word festuca, which meant 'stalk' or 'stem'. Because the grass is made of many strong little stalks, fescue now means a hardy grass used for lawns and fields.