29S Dr. Smith'* Obfervations on the Britijli Species ofBromm. 



ftrongly nerved than in the laft, and efpecially in its florets having 

 but two ftamina, which has been obferved by Mr. Curtis, as well as 

 by Dr. Withering who found the fame grafs in Portugal. I have 

 by comparifon proved it the B. madritenfis of Linnaeus ; but it being 

 far from peculiar to Madrid, I make no fcruple to prefer the ex- 

 ■preflive name diandrus. It is very diftinft from the E. rubens. Like 

 moft plants that live in a fandy foil, it varies greatly as to fize. 



Great obfeurity involves the early fynonyms of this grafs, info- 

 much that nothing Kit the inveftigation of original fpeci mens could 

 clear it up. The moft. important of thefe is one in the Sherardian 

 herbarium, with a ticket inferibed by Sherard, thus : " This I 

 found common on the fandy grounds in Jerfey. 'Tis fhorter 

 awncd than the Bromus Jlentis, lower and more upright." Hence 

 we learn with certainty that the plant intended by Ray, in the 

 fecond edition of his Synop/is, p. 261. n. 4. is our B. diandrus. We 

 learn with equal certainty from the collection of graffes made by 

 •Bobart, and referring all through to that part of Morifon's Hijloria, 

 of which he was the editor, that he knew it to be the plant of Ray, 

 and that he intended it himfelf under the name and figure in 

 Morifon, to which I have referred above. Dillenius however, 

 ftrange to tell, in his edition of the Sympfis, applies thefe fynonyms 

 to the B. erefius ; and under the definition which belongs to the 

 dumdrus, he quotes a pafTage in Petiver's Concordia Graminum, and 

 gives a figure and defcription of his own, all which apply to Fejluca 

 mjglumis of Solander, Lolium bromoides of Hudfon, which is the 

 plant Dillenius found on the coaft of SulTex, and, as it appears 

 from Buddie's herbarium, what Mr. Dale gathered in Merfey 

 Ifland. This error of Dillenius is noticed on a ticket, which ac- 

 companies the genuine fpecimen of B. diandrus in the Sherardian 

 ■colie&ion, on which is written, in a fcrawling hand unknown to 



me. 



