336 Dr. Smith's Account of several Flants, 



Mr. Don has indicated the following differences, which I find to 

 hold good. The roots form a compact tuft, and are not at all 

 inclined to creep. The leaves are never clothed with soft hairs, 

 nor are their edges even, as in pubescens, but they are finely ser- 

 rated, so that the two species are distinguishable, even in the 

 dark, by the touch. In this last particular the leaves agree with 

 pratensis, but differ from that in their rough and greatly elongated 

 sheaths. The flowers differ from both those species, not only in 

 their much greater size, but in their partial stalk, or rachis, the 

 hairiness of which I observe to be crowded up into a very dense 

 tuft, towards the base of each floret, not dispersed over the whole 

 rachis. 



This species bears the same relationship to Avena pubescens, 

 that my A. caryophyllea, Fl. Grcec. t. 89, does to pratensis, being 

 larger, with a greater number of florets in each calyx. I wish 

 however that the caryophyllea might prove as permanently di- 

 stinct; upon which subject I shall take this opportunity of 

 making some observations. That was one of the few Greek 

 grasses, drawn b}' Mr. Ferdinand Bauer, of which I could find 

 no specimens in Dr. Sibthorp's herbarium. I was therefore 

 obliged to take their specific characters from the drawings; 

 and I did so with confidence, having had such frequent expe- 

 rience of the fidelity of this excellent artist. The rachis of this 

 Avena being delineated quite smooth, and that part having been 

 resorted to by Linneeus in this genus for his specific differences, 

 I seized upon it, in conjunction Avith the greater number of florets, 

 to establish a specific character. But I have lately discovered 

 specimens of this grass, along with most, if not all, of the others 

 of the Flora Graca that were in the same predicament, quite out 

 of their places, confounded amongst a heap of rubbish, which I 

 had supposed not to belong to the Greek herbarium at all. Thus 



then 



