132 TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Briza. 



Gramen avenaceum parvum procumbens, paniculia non aristatis. 

 Ran Syn. 408. Pluk. Phyt. t. 34./. I . Mont. Prodr. 53. /. 2. 

 /.l,*t. p. 53./. 77. 



G. triticeum palustre humilius, spica mutica breviore. Moris, v. 3. 

 \77. sect.H. t. I./.6. 



G. montanum avenaceum, locustis muticis tumentibus, pilosum. 

 Scheuchz. Agr. 170. /. 3./. 16. A, B, C. 



In spongy bogs, on barren, sandy, mountainous ground, frequent. 



Perennial. July. 



Root slightly creeping, with strong fibres. Whole plant harsh and 

 rigid, lying close to the ground except when in flower. Stem 

 from 4 to 1 2 inches long, jointed, bent, leafy, very smooth. Leaves 

 linear, striated, rather glaucous, smooth, except towards the 

 points, where the rib and edges are very rough. Sheaths stri- 

 ated, hairy, especially at the top. Stipula a row of hairs. Pa- 

 nicle of a few large, turgid, purplish syikelets, its branches few, 

 wavy. The corolla has 2, or more, dense tufts of shining bris- 

 tles at its base, with 2 intermediate depressions. The middle 

 tooth is flattened, and close-pressed, not extended into a bristly 

 awn. 



When able botanists have much differed about the genus of any 

 plant, it is likely to prove a new one, as is the case with this 

 grass. Several species of the same genus are found in New 

 Holland, and some on the mountains of South America. What- 

 ever the other species of the learned DeCandolle's Danthonia 

 may be, this undoubtedly belongs to Mr. Brown's very natural 

 genus of Triodia, which is enough for our purpose. It could 

 not, when properly examined, be placed either in Festuca or 

 Poa ; still less, as some have thought, in Bromus or Melica. 



47. BRIZA. Quaking-grass. 



Linn. Gen. 35. Juss. 32. Fl. Br. 108. Lam. t. 45. Gcertn.tA. 



Cal. of 2 nearly equal, awnless, obovate, or almost orbicu- 

 lar, obtuse, expanded, concave, slightly keeled valves, 

 containing a broad-ovate, or triangular, obtuse, com- 

 pressed spikelet of many awnless, two-ranked, perfect 

 Jlorets. Cor. of 2 unequal, awnless, obtuse valves; the 

 outer orbicular, or obovate, expanded, concave, some- 

 times gibbous, contracted or inflexed at the edges ; with- 

 out rib or prominent keel ; inner much smaller, flatter, 

 oval, or obovate, entire or notched, inflexed at the edges; 

 both permanent, embracing the seed. Nect. a cloven 

 scale. Filam. capillary, longer than the glumes. Anth. 

 oblong, cloven at each end, pendulous. Germen ovate. 

 Styles very short. Stigmas feathery, long, cylindrical. 

 Seed nearly orbicular, flat, pressed closely between the 



