The lower leaf surface is smooth and glossy and is slightly keeled. The leaf margin is rough. This collar is broad, hairless and yellow-green to cream in color. At the front of the collar there may be short, blunt, claw-like auricles 0.5 to 1.5 mm long. Where the collar meets the sheath there is a short, greenish, membranous ligule about 2 mm long.
Tall fescue is similar in appearance to ryegrass.
In fact, some of the new fescue varieties are hybrids of fescue and ryegrass. Tall fescue differs from perennial ryegrass which has a leaf that is folded in the bud stage. It differs from Italian ryegrass which has a smooth leaf margin and a longer, more prominent ligule. Tall fescue goes to head later than orchardgrass and Kentucky bluegrass. It is similar to these two grasses in that its growing point remains near the ground during vegetative growth.