152 HOBDEUM. [class hi. order ii. 



English Botany, t. 1971. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 179. — Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 296, — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 55. — Sinclair, Hort. 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 2G8. 



Root fibrous and downy. Stem bent in the lower part, erect in the 

 upper, from twelve to eighteen inches high, leafy, round, smooth, and 

 striated, slender. Leaves flat, spreading, narrow, linear, rough, some- 

 times hairy. Sheaths rather long, loose, striated, smootli. Ligula 

 short, obtuse. Inflorescence a close round spike, from two to three 

 inches long. Spikelets three together, elevated on a short, flat, ciliated 

 stalk; each spikelet single-flowered ; the two lateral ones mostly im- 

 perfect, on short hairy footstalks, the central one nearly sessile and 

 pei'fect. Glumes of the two lateral florets bristle-shaped, rough, some- 

 times ciliated ; those of the centre linear-lanceolate, rough, ribbed, 

 terminating in a rough awn, the margins ciliated. Glumelles lanceo- 

 late, equal : the outer concave, smooth and shining, except roughish 

 towards the point, obscurely three-ribbed, and terminating in a long, 

 rough awn : the inner flat, somewhat downy, with two strong lateral 

 ribs, and at its base on the inner side is a strong, roughish bristle. 

 Stigmas feathery ; apex oii\\Q fruit downy, furrowed on one side. 



Habitat. — Walls and road-sides; common in England; about Edin- 

 burgh, " and at Elgin, its most northerly range," in Scotland ; and 

 Dublin, in Ireland. 



Annual ; flowering from June to August. 



The Wall or Mouse Barley is one of the most inferior grasses, appa- 

 rently refused by all cattle. 



3. H. praten'se, Hudson, (Fig. 194.) Meadow Barley. Glumes 

 all bristle-shaped and rough. 



English Botany, t. 400. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 180. — Lindley^ 

 Synopsis, p. 290. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. bb. — Sinclair, 

 Hort. Gram. Woburn. p. 315. 



Root fibrous, " becoming bulbous in barren ground, occasionally 

 overflowed." Stem erect, from one and a half to two feet high, smooth, 

 round, scarcely striated, slender, leafy. Leaves rather short, narrow, 

 linear, roughish, especially on the upper side, and sometimes hairy. 

 Sheaths close, striated, smooth, except the lower ones, which arc more 

 or less thickly clothed with deflexed hairs. Ligula short, torn. In- 

 fiorescence an erect, close spike, from one to two inches long. Spikelets 

 three together, elevated on a short, flat, ciliated stalk ; each spikelet 

 single-flowered ; the lateral ones imperfect, small, scarcely awned, 

 sometimes only a simple, awn-like valve, elevated on short, roughish 

 footstalks ; the central floret sessile and perfect. Glumes all bristle- 

 shaped and rough. Glumelles equal, lanceolate: the outer smooth, 

 obscurely ribbed ; the apex of the perfect floret terminating in a long, 

 lough awn, the inside of the valve more or lees clothed with hairs : the 



