120 SWISS FLOWERS. 



would recommend those who have not noticed the difference 

 between them when in and out of flower to do so, and they 

 will be surprised at the colours and the beauty of the hanging 

 stamens. We select only two out of the many, neither 

 of them common in England. 



P. vivipara (Fig, 99). Flower without awns, panicle 

 rather spreading, with spikelets containing four or five 

 flowers. The spike is very prettily variegated with green 

 and violet, and white or gold, colours. The most remark- 

 able thing about it is that very often the glumes become 

 narrow leaflets, about an inch long, which hang in diffe- 

 rent directions and give the grass a striking appearance. 

 There are at least three species which especially do this, P. 

 Alpina, P. bulbosa, and P. minor; the last has very fine, 

 hair-like flower-stalks, and Bulbosa has the swollen base of 

 the stems and leaf-stalks increased into bulbs. Not uncom- 

 mon in Alpine pastures and stony places. 



