SEA-COAST 



39 



downy. The plant is 1J.-4 It. high, and flowers 

 lioni July to September, being a herbaceous per- 

 ennial. 



Alopeciirus biilbosus, Gouan. — The habitat of this 

 plant is salt marshes in the south. The plant has 

 the grass habit. The stem is smooth, prostrate or 

 ascending or erect, tuberous (hence bii/bosiis), form- 

 ing a circular lul't, geniculate or bent, the lower- 

 most nodes forming egg-shaped, fleshy tubers. 

 The plant is not bluish-green. The upper sheath 

 is enlarged. The ligule is oblong. The panicle 

 is slender, cylindrical, rather acute, long-pointed. 

 The stalks are 1-2-flowered. The empty glumes 

 are acute, free, the keel fringed with short hairs, 

 the flowering glume longer than the palea, the 

 awn projecting half-way beyond the Litter from 

 its base. The palea is blunt, notched, with j 

 sm.ill teeth in the middle. The plant is in flower 

 in May and June, and is a herbaceous perennial. 



Milium scabrum. Rich. =M. ver/ia/i; Bieb. — The 

 habitat of this plant is grassy cliffs. The plant 

 has the grass habit. The stem is rough (hence 

 scabrum), as indeed is the whole plant. The leaves 

 are lincir to lance-shaped, short. The panicle is 

 small, close. The palea is blunt. The bracts are 

 few, short, wavy. The glumes arc 3-veincd. The 

 plant is 1-4 in. in height, flowering in April and 

 May, .ind is a herbaceous annual. 



Sandhill Cat's Tail (Plileum areiiarium, L.). — 

 The h.ibit.it of this pl.int is sandy dunes, sands 

 near the coast, sandy commons inland, being a 

 sand-loving plant (hence arenariiim). The plant 

 has the grass habit. The stems are leafy, crowded, 

 variable in height. The leaves are flat, broad, 

 with enlarged upper leaf- sheaths, which are 

 smooth. The ligule is long. The panicle is egg- 

 shaped, cylindrical to oblong, narrow below, 

 blunt, bluish-green, a common character amongst 

 xerophytes. The spikelets are close. The empty 

 glumes are lance-shaped, long-pointed, scarcely 

 awned, the keel fringed with hairs above. The 

 flowering glume is very small, hairy. The lower 

 palea is notched, one-third <-is long as the glumes. 

 The plant is 4-8 in. high, flowering in June and 

 July, and is a herbaceous annual. 



Mibora verna, Beauv. — The habitat of this plant 

 is dry, sandy places and wet sands, especially 

 near the sea. The habit is erect. The stems are 

 numerous, slender, tufted. The leaves are short, 

 erect, bristle-like, rough, blunt, with inrolled mar- 

 gins, adapted to drought. The swollen sheaths 

 are white. The ligule is short. The sjiikes are 

 slender. The spikelets are stalkless, 5-10. The 

 glume is longer than the ;-nerved p.ilea, hairy, 

 blunt, and torn. The empty glumes are longer 

 than the flowering glumes, and there is no awn. 

 There are 3 stamens, with short anthers, and the 

 styles are long, the stigmas hairy. The fruit is 

 flattened at the border, enclosed in the glume and 

 palea. It is only 1-3 in. high. The flowers open 

 in April and May. It is a herbaceous annual. 



Beard Grass (Polypugon monspeliensis, Des.). — • 

 The habitat of this plant is damp pastures, sandy 

 places near the coast, salt marshes. The habit is 

 erect, and it is a most handsome grass. The stems 



are stout, arising from a fibrous root, smooth. The 

 large, broad leaves are flat and roughisli, wilh 

 smooth sheaths, and the ligule is blunt and large. 

 The panicle is dense, oblong, egg-shaped, lobed, 

 blunt, pale yellowish-green, soft, and silky. The 

 glumes are rough, notched, blunt, hairy, linear, 

 the .iwn longer by three times, and straight. 

 The flowering glume is silvery, not as long as the 

 empty glume. The stamens arc 1-3, with small 

 anthers. The short styles are free, the stigmas 

 feathery. The fruit is enveloped in the glume and 

 palea. The plant is g-i8 in. in height. It flowers 

 late from July to August, aiid is a herbaceous 

 annual. 



Perennial Beard Grass {Pu/ypiig-on littoralis, 

 Sm.). — This s[)ecies is (uund in sand}' places near 

 the coast and in muddy salt marshes. The plant 

 has the grass habit. It has been considered a 

 hybrid between P. monspeliensis and Agros/is alba 

 by Douval-Jouve. The root is creeping. The stem 

 is erect or prostrate, slender below. The panicle 

 is close, lobed, purplish. The glumes are linear 

 to lance-shaped, faintly notched, acute, as long 

 as the awns. The empty glumes are smoother 

 than in the next, more acute, the awns not so 

 long, the keel rough. The flowering glume is 

 one-third shorter, awned. The awns project. The 

 plant is 4-18 in. high, flowering in July and August, 

 and is .1 herbaceous perennial. 



Nit Grass (Gastridium lendigerum, Gaud. = 

 G. aiistrale, Beauv.). — The habitat of this grass 

 is damp places, especially near the sea, maritime 

 sandy marshes, and cultivated ground (inland). 

 The plant has the grass habit. The stems are 

 tufted, erect or ascending, leafy, slender. The 

 leaves are rough at the edge, short, flat. The 

 sheaths are smooth. The ligule is oblong. The 

 panicle is large, dense, spike-like, spindle-shaped 

 to cylindrical, pale-green, and glistening. The 

 branches are rough. The glumes are lance-shaped, 

 with a long narrow point, swollen (hence Gastri- 

 dium), polished, shining below. The ultimate 

 flower-stalks are swollen above. The empty glumes 

 are erect, long-pointed, the keel faintly rough. 

 The flowering glume is white, shining, with 4 

 teeth. The awn projects near the top, and is very 

 slender, longer than the glumes. The plant is 

 12-18 in. high, flowering between June and Octo- 

 ber. The plant is a herbaceous perennial. 



Baltic Marram Grass (Ammvphila baltica. 

 Link). — Tile habitat of this grass Is sandy coasts 

 on the east coast of EngUmd. The plant has the 

 grass habit, like the coninioncr form. From the 

 Latter it Is distinguished by the looser, less C}'lin- 

 drical, long, interrupted panicle, the more lance- 

 shaped, long-pointed glumes, more acute, like the 

 palea. The nerves in the flowering glumes are 

 less distinct. The glumes are twice as long as 

 the hairs. It has been supposed to be a hybrid 

 between the common form and Calamagrostis 

 Epigeios. The panicle Is not so silvery-white. 

 The plant is 2-4 ft. high, flowering between June 

 and September, and Is a herbaceous perennial. 



Hare's Tail Grass {Lagurus ovalns, L.).— The 

 habitat of this plant is sandy shores. The plant 



