DISTRIBUTION OF FESTUCA RUBRA IN BRITAIN. 313 
On the Occurrence and Distribution of Festuca rubra, Hack. in Great 
Britain. By W.O. Howarrn, M.Se., F.L.S., Lecturer in Botany in the 
University of Manchester. 
(PLATES 26-30.) 
[Read 14th December, 1922.) 
CONTENTS. 
Page 
Introduction .,,,..............,,,,,..., ners 3 63; 
Description of the Species ,,.,..,,,.....,.,.,,,....,. 314 
Examination of the Group ............ en . 322 
* F, rubra " and “ F. duriuseda” Soccer 524 
Bibliography ......... Fee sere TEE EEE En 229 
INTRODUCTION. 
Turse notes on the occurrence and distribution of Festuca rubra in Britain 
are the outcome of research commenced in the neighbourhood of Cardiff in 
1914, The necessity for distinguishing three forms of this grass found on 
different types of habitat led to a critical examination of Hackel’s exhaustive 
Monograph on the European Festucas (1882). As a result it was deter- 
mined to find out if, and how far, his system could be applied to all the 
British forms of this grass. A move to Manchester in 1919 gave access to 
the excellent collection of British and European plants in the Charles Bailey 
Herbarium, and since, the collections in the Herbaria at Kew and the British 
(Natural History) Museum have been compared, Great care has been taken 
in determining the plants on the numerous sheets : dissections, leaf-sections, 
glume measurements, etc. have been taken where possible in order that as 
great a degree of accuracy as can be obtained with herbarium material might 
be maintained. In addition, the living plant throughout has not been lost 
sight of, the author's collection having been supplemented by several kind 
friends who have sent samples for determination from various localities. 
The descriptions here given are based on those of Hackel (l.e.), and 
Ascherson and Graebner (1900), but emended where it has been deemed 
necessary for our British plants from direct observation of the specimens 
themselves. Hackel’s own descriptions admit of certain variations within 
a type, and for the purposes of this paper no single plant has been taken and 
described as a type specimen, but the sheets were first sorted out under their 
respective headings, and then the descriptions suited to the various plants 
under each heading. 
Synonyms, where given, are additional to those of Hackel (l. c.). 
The distribution of the various forms, obtained from the herbarium sheets 
and by the collection of living specimens, is shown by numbers corresponding 
LINN. JOURN.— BOTANY, VOL, XLVI. 2A 
