190 MB. A. G. MORE ON FESTUCA AMBIGIJA. 



year, distributed a large number of specimens under tbe name of 

 Vulpia pseudo-myurus, var. maritima. 



■ Quite recently I have obtained access to Le Gall's ' Flore de 

 Morbiban ' (1852), and I now feel satisfied that the St. Helen's 

 grass answers to the description of the Festuca ambigua of that 

 work, p. 731. The following is a description drawn up by myself 

 from fresh Isle of "Wight specimens. 



Vulpia ambigua. Root annual, fibrous. Leaves narrow, at first flat, 

 then involute. Culms 8-12 inches high, numerous, tufted, suberect, 

 geniculate below. Sheaths long, somewhat inflated, with a short 

 truncate ligule, which becomes torn when the panicle forces its way 

 through. Panicle purplish, unilateral, narrowly lanceolate, rather 

 close, upright ; its lowest branches at first included in the sheath, but 

 ultimately just free ; lowest branch reaching a little more than one- 

 third up the panicle ; rachis of the panicle and branches compressed^ 

 rougb-edged. Spikelets containing 4-7 purplish florets. Glumes 

 broadly bordered with membrane, very unequal, as 3-6 to 1 ; the 

 lower glume ovate-lanceolate or triangular-ovate, often nearly obso- 

 lete ; the superior glume oblong-lanceolate, acute or bluntish, its mem- 

 branous border being often as it were eroded at the top ; larger glume 

 reaching one-third up the included contiguous floret. Florets sca- 

 brous with small points passing into short hairs, the inferior pale, 

 terminating in an awn of nearly twice its own length. Stamen one. 



It will have been seen that the differences between our plant 

 and the normal state of Vulpia pseudo-myurus are just such as are 

 relied upon for distinguishing the latter plant from' V. sciuroides, 

 Roth ( V. bromoides, Smith) ; and it is hard to see why V. am- 

 bigua is less entitled to rank as a species. It is not expected, 

 indeed, that those botanists who conjoin V. pseudo-myurus with 

 V. sciuroides will be any more inclined to admit the distinctness 

 of V. ambigua ; and it may be urged that, in his ' Flore de l'Ouest,' 

 M. James Lloyd speaks of a maritime variety of Festuca pseudo- 

 myurus in such terms* as to lead to the conclusion that he intends 

 V. ambigua ; but, on the other hand, Le Gall considered his 

 plant much more nearly related to V. ciliata, Link, to which he 

 was disposed to refer V. ambigua as a non-ciliated variety : and it 

 must be confessed that, excepting the cilia of the lower pale, 

 V. ambigua has very nearly the characters of V. ciliata. 



The only localities which I know for V. ambigua are situated on 

 the north-west coast of France, as mentioned in the works of 

 Le Gall and Lloyd, already quoted. 



* " Varie «ur les bords de la mer k valve superieure obtuse (F. amligua, 

 Lo Gall)." 



