ADDITIONS TO THE BRITISH FLORA. 85 
in fruit, lower peduncles often elongated and branched, 
simple peduncles equalling or exceeding in length the ob- 
long-lanceolate glabrous spikelets, flowers loosely imbricate, 
when in fruit the glumes only slightly overlapping at their 
edges near the base, leaves and their sheaths hairy. B. pra- 
lensis. Eng. Bot. 920. (a small specimen.) 
B. secalinus, Linn. Panicle loose drooping in fruit, lower 
peduncles slightly branched, simple peduncles about equalling 
the oblong compressed glabrous spikelets, flowers at first im- 
bricated, afterwards distinct cylindrical, the incurved edges 
of the glumes not overlapping those of the flower above 
them, leaves hairy, their sheaths nearly smooth. Eng. Bot. 
1171. (good, but the panicle too long.) 
B. arvensis, Linn. Panicle spreading loose slightly droop- 
ing in fruit, lower peduncles much elongated branched, simple 
peduncles longer than the linear-lanceolate compressed spike- 
lets, flowers imbricated in fruit, glumes shorter than the 
awns with two prominent ribs on each side. Eng. Bot. 1984. 
(glumes too narrow). 
Characters drawn from the length and branching of the 
peduncles must be understood to apply only to well grown 
plants. All these species are liable to vary with completely 
simple (unbranched) peduncles, and not uncommonly the 
spikelets are reduced to three or even fewer. Though diffi- 
cult to put into the form of botanical characters, there is a 
first-sight difference, when the plants are advanced towards the 
Seeding stage, that makes them readily distinguishable, except 
Perhaps B. racemosus. B. mollis is familiar to every bo- 
tanist. B. racemosus is best distinguished from it by the ab- 
sence of pubescence on its bright green glumes, and from the 
other species, by its more erect panicle and more closely im- 
bricated flowers. B. commutatus is known by its glossy 
Srey-green spikelets, acquiring a brownish-purple tint in sunny 
“Pots, its longer and more harsh peduncles than those of the 
Preceding, and its larger and more inflated glumes than 
: se of the two following species. B. secalinus is known 1n 
mut by its heavy panicle and separately rolled up flowers. 
