100 



AIRA. [clam in. OBDEE xt. 



English Botany, t. 812.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 106.— Liudley, 

 Synopsis, p. 308.— Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 40. 



Root of many slender branched fibres. Stem from two to twelve 

 inches high, slender and shining, smooth and leafy on the lower part, 

 roughish above. Leaves few, short, slender, bristle-shaped, the upper 

 oies very short, with long, rough, striated, slightly swelling, and some- 

 t'mes purplish sheaths. Ligula lanceolate, embracing the stem, large 

 compared to the size of the leaves, the root leaves longest, soon wither- 

 ing. Inflorescence a loose spreading panicle, its branches fine, shining, 

 and hairJike, smooth in the lower part, roughish towards the extremi- 

 ties. Spikelets small, a shining silvery grey, sometimes purplish, not 

 very numerous. Glumes nearly equal, lanceolate, longer than the 

 florets, the edges white and pellucid, frequently uneven, green at the 

 base, the keel mostly rough. Florets sessile, roughish, with minute- 

 shining points, and a few short glossy hairs at the base ; external valve 

 the largest, lanceolate, with a long narrow bifid point, and arising from 

 near the base is a jointed dorsal awn, twisted in the lower part, rough, 

 ish in the upper, and about as long again as the valve ; the inner valve 

 closely embraced by the infiexed edges of the outer, is thin, pale, and 

 membranous. Anthers small, yellow. Stigmas feathery. Seed minute. 



Habitat. — Sandy fields, heaths, and gravelly places, frequent. 



Perennial; flowering in June and July. 



This is an early grass, and greedily eaten by sheep ; but, from the 

 small quantity of herbage which it produces, and the dry situations in 

 which it delights to grow, it is soon withered up, and is consequently a 

 comparatively valueless pasture grass, as is also the following; and 

 they do not possess any properties by which any advantage could be 

 obtained by their cultivation. 



6. A.pr(e'co.v, Linn. (Fig. 126.) earli/ Hair-grass. Panicle close, 

 somewhat spiked ; florets about as long as the glumes, scarcely 

 hairy at the base ; awn arising from below^ the middle of the outer 

 valve, jointed, and about as long again ; leaves bristle-shaped. 



English Botany, t. 1296.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 106.— Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 3)8.— Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 41. 



Root of many slender branched fibres. Stetn erect, from one to four 

 inches high, several from the sanrc root, simple, slender, smooth and 

 .shining above, roughish about the joints, leafy in the lower part. 

 Xfam? few, short, narrow, blunt, bristle-shaped, the lower ones soon 

 withering. Sheaths angular, ril)bed, mostly roughish, somewhat infla- 

 ted. Ligula lanceolate, closely embracing the stem, very large. In- 

 florescences, short, erect, close, somewhat lobed panicle. Sj>ikelets fewi 

 a pale silvery green. Glumes equal, lanceolate, roughish, with minute 

 points, the keel rough. Florets sessile, about as long as the glumes, 

 surrounded at the base with a few .short white shining hairs, and 

 roughish towards the extremity, with shining points; the oi/ftr valve' 

 lanceolate, with a long narrow pale bilid point, uiul a dorsal ann arisiiig' 



