318 CYPERACE/E. [Nardus. 



each of two valves ; the exterior avvned, the interior small, 

 awnless. — Name, avOo<s, a flower, and tjavOos, yelloio, from the 

 yellowish hue of the spikes, especially in age. 



Diandria. Digynia. 



1. A. odoratum, Linn. Vernal-grass. Panicle spiked, ob- 

 long; flowers upon partial stalks and longer than their awns. 

 Br. Fl. ed. 3. p. 14. E. Fl. v. i. p. 37. E. Bot. t. 647. 



Meadows, pastures, and woods, abundant, often very alpine. Fl. 

 May, June. %. — A foot high, affording an agreeable smell in the act 

 of drying, like that of Woodruff ( Aspenda odorata), and giving the 

 well known scent to new mown hay. Leaves short. Panicle com- 

 pact, spiked, yellowish in age. Stamens only two, in which respect it 

 differs from all our other grasses. 



30. Nardus. Linn. Mat-grass. 



Calyx none. Corolla of two valves. — Named from vapcos, for- 

 merly given to an odoriferous substance, but not applicable 

 in this case. Triandria. 3Ionogynia. 



1. N. stricta, Linn. Mat-grass. Spike erect, slender, the 

 florets all pointing one way. Br. Fl. ed. 3. p. 32. E. Fl. v. i. 

 p. 70. E. Bot. t. 290. 



Moors and heaths, most abundant. Fl. Junp. %. — A grass of 

 simple structure, growing in short tufts, so coarse and rigid that cattle 

 will not eat it. Culms and leaves setaceous. Spike long, erect, 

 grooved, and toothed at short distances for the insertion of the florets. 

 Valves of the corolla lanceolate ; outer one coriaceous, purplish- 

 green, tapering gradually into an awn ; inner smaller, awnless, mem- 

 branous. Stamens three. Style and stigma single. 



Ord. 90. CYPERACEiE. Juss. Sedge Family. 



Flowers perfect or separated, each with a glume or chaffy 

 scale. Perianth none or resembling bristles, rarely membrana- 

 ceous, 1 — 3-valved. Stamens hypogynous, definite, generally 

 3, (sometimes 1 — 2, or 4 — 6, scarcely ever 12 ;) anthers in- 

 serted by the base, entire, 2-celled. Ovary 1 -seeded, with the 

 ovule fixed to the bottom of the cell : style one, trifid, rarely 

 bifid. Stigmas undivided, sometimes bifid. Fruit a crusta- 

 ceous or bony nut. Albumen of the same form as the nucleus. 

 Embryo lenticular, homogeneous, placed at the base of the 

 seed, on the outside of the albumen. Plumule inconspicuous. 

 — Herbaceous plants, as extensively distributed as the grasses. 

 Stems fCtilms, l&r.J rounded or triquetrous, sometimes many- 

 angled, generally without joints, occasionally jointed and branched. 



