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Fescues and r yegr asses

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The Lolium-Festuca complex

Introduction

Some taxonomy

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The two genera are members of: Family Gramineae, Subfamily Pooideae, Tribe Poeae, in which the basic chromosome number (x)
is normally 7.

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The genus Festuca contains about 100 spp of C3 grasses, widely distributed across the cooler regions of the world. The most
useful agricultural species are F. arundinacea (hexaploid, 2n = 6x = 42) and F. pratensis (diploid, 2n = 14), which belong to the
section Bovinae. Recent work at IGER has confirmed that F. arundinacea evolved from a natural hybrid between ancestral forms
of F. pratensis and the tetraploid F. glaucescens (=F. arundinacea ssp. fenas).
Section Scariosae is closely related to the Bovinae, and includes two species (F. mairii and F. scariosa) which are very hard and
fibrous, but may contain useful drought resistance genes. F. mairii may, in the distant past, have hybridised with F. glaucescens to
produce the species F. atlantigena and F. letournexiana , which are often classified as subspecies of F. arundinacea.
The main amenity species are F. rubra and F. ovina (section Ovinae), used for fine lawns, and dwarf forms of F. arundinacea, used
for for rougher turf in adverse environments.
The genus Lolium is much smaller (about 8 spp), and appears to have evolved from an ancestor similar to Festuca pratensis about
a million years ago. The relative ease of producing (usually infertile) intergeneric hybrids between Festuca Sect. Bovinae and Lolium
indicates the close similarity between the two groups.

Putative family tree of selected species

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Fescues and r yegr asses

Intergeneric hybrids between Festuca and Lolium

Parents
F. pratensis Huds.
F. arundinacea Huds.

L. multiflorum Lam.
Festulolium braunii
rare in nature

L. perenne L.
Festulolium loliaceum (Huds.) P.Fourn
Festulolium holmbergii

F. glaucescens

uncommon in nature

rare in nature

Distribution of the three Festuca species

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Fescues and r yegr asses

European distribution of the three Festuca species (F. pratensis, F. arundinacea and F. glaucescens) whose native ecotypes are
used to improve stress resistance of Lolium in the SAGES programme IGER, INRA, IPG-PAS, and AUN have transferred
Festuca genes to Lolium using Festuca ecotypes adapted to their growing conditions.

Festuca and Lolium express complementary traits

Lolium species are fast growing and digestible under benign conditions, but lack stress resistance. Festuca species are less
agronomically desirable, but more stress resistant.
Trait
Quality
Speed of
establishment
Early spring growth
rate
Summer growth
potential
Herbage digestibility
Stress resistance
Winter hardiness
Drought resistance
Persistency

F. pratensis F. arundinacea F. glaucescens L. multiflorum

L. perenne (Lp)
(Fp)
(Fa)
(Fg)
(Lm)
++

++

++++

+++

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++++

++

++++

+++

+++

+++

++++

+++

+++

++

++++

+++

++++
++
+++

+++
++++
+++

+++
++++
+++

+
+
+

++
++
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Festuca as a source of stress resistance

As a source of genes for improved stress-resistance we will use ecotypes of Fp, Fg, and Fa. They have already been hybridised
with Lm and/or Lp and backcrossed onto diploid Lolium by IGER, INRA, IPG-PAS, and AUN. The distribution of the three
native European Festuca species over Europe is illustrated in the map above. Fp will be used primarily as a source of genes for
improved winter-hardiness in Lolium. Fa will be used primarily as a source of enhanced drought and heat resistance in Lolium. Fg
will also be used as a source of genes for drought resistance but has a different strategy of drought-survival and is an ideal source of
genes for ryegrass survival in southern Europe. Furthermore, ecotypes of the three Festuca species are adapted to mountainous
conditions, and genotypes that have been used in breeding programmes as a source of genes for improved ryegrass production in
upland and mountainous regions of Europe will be used in this project.
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