178 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



FESTUCA loliacea. Darnel-like Fescue. 



Specific character : Spike two-ranked, drooping ; spikelets nearly 

 sessile, linear-oblong ; florets cylindrical, awnless, pointed, 

 with five slight ribs at the top. Sm. Engl. Flor i. p. 146. — 

 jF/g. 1. Calyx. 2. Floret. 3. Germen and stigmas. 4. Nectary. 



Obs. — This grass at first sight greatly resembles the Loliiim 

 perenne, (rye-grass) ; but on a closer inspection, the calyx or 

 outer husk, so conspicuous in the spikelets of the rye-grass, is 

 in the spikelets of this grass almost wanting. The spikelets are 

 also arranged in a different manner : in the rye-grass they 

 stand facing the spike-stalk ; but in the darnel-like fescue, 

 they stand with their back towards it. E. Bot. 1821 ; Curt. 

 Lond.; Huds.; Hort. Gram. Wob. Fol. 61. 



Native of Britain. Root fibrous. Perennial. 



Experiments. — At the time of flowering, the produce from a 



rich brown loam is — 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. lbs. 



Grass, 24 oz. The produce per acre - 16335 



64 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - 35 ^ 



The produce of the space, ditto - 168 3 



The weightlost by the produce of one acre in drying 9188 7 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 3 1 



The produce of the space, ditto - 18 3 



At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is — 

 Grass, 16 oz. The produce per acre - 10890 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - 33 ^ 44Q9 9 



The produce of the space, ditto - 105 0| j 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 6397 14 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 3 17 rro o 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 13 3 



The latter-math produce is — 

 Grass, 5 oz. The produce per acre - 3403 2 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 11 66 7 7 



The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leav- 

 ing the crop till the seed is ripe - - 212 9 



The proportional value which the grass, at the time the seed is 

 ripe, bears to that at the time of flowering, is as 13 to 12 ; and the 

 grass of the latter-math stands in proportion to that at the time of 

 flowering, as 12 to 5, and to that at the time the seed is ripe, as 13 

 to 5. 



