170 TJlc Natural History of British Grasses. 



that is, the ' sour grass ' of the farmer, no matter how great its 

 quantity, such shouhl be discouraged. Again, if for depasturing, 

 it will be necessary to note such facts as lonrjevity, and how the 

 species succeeds in sending up herbage under continual mutila- 

 tion by feeding off. 



Most grass meadows are sometimes mown for hay and then 

 depastured in the shape of aftermatli, whilst in some years no 

 hay crop is taken, so that it is necessary to encourage the growth 

 of all such species as will be found adapted to our soil, and 

 will there yield us the best return in both hay and herbage. 

 Connected with this part of the subject we must not omit dura- 

 tion ; as for permanent pasture perennial grasses are absolutely 

 necessary, annual species having nothing to recommend them. 



h. The Culms of grasses, whether hard and iciry, or soft and 

 pliable, hitter or saccharine, scanty or abundant, should also re- 

 ceive attention, as hay, both in quality and bulk, will much 

 depend upon these circumstances. 



c. Heads ofjlowers. — These are aggregated from single locustce, 

 spikelets, or smaller bunches or bundles of flowers which may 

 vary in the following manner : — 



a. A single glumel to each pair of glume-valves. 



h. Two glumels and sets of flowers to a pair of glumes. 



c. Three or more glumels to each pair of glume-valves. 



Each flower, or locusta of flowers, as h and c would be termed, 

 may be attached to the stem in various ways : 



a. On short upright footstalks (pedicels), in which the flowers 

 unite into a compact head, called a spike — example, Foxtail 

 grasses. 



1. On longer upright footstalks (pedicels) forming an upright 

 panicle, as in Bromus mollis, soft brome. 



c. On long and flexile footstalks (pedicels) a drooping panicle, 

 as Bromus asper, rough-stalked brome. 



2. Classification.- — In a large group of plants, like the grasses, 

 their study necessitates their arrangement into smaller groups or 

 bundles in order to facilitate their analysis, to which end various 

 charactei's, more or less minute, have been dwelt upon by different 

 authors. We here choose the method of arrangement that appears 

 to us as the most simple, making use of the foregoing descrip- 

 tions and terminology as our guide. 



A. — Stamens, 2. Styles, 2. 



1. AntlioxantJium — panicle spicate. 



2. Hierochloe — panicle las. 



B. — Stamens, 3. Style, 1. 



3. Nardus — spike unilateral. 



