HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 195 



it affords; and in other respects it possesses no superior merit, 

 either with respect to early growth, reproductiveness, or late 

 growth. It cannot therefore as yet be recommended as a plant 

 for the purposes of the Agriculturist. 



It flowers in the third week of June, and the seed is ripe about 

 the end of July. 



PHLEUM pratense. Meadow Cat's-tail Grass. Timothy-grass. 



Specific character : Spike cylindrical, very long ; calyx fringed 

 and awned ; straws upright. — Fig. 1. Calyx magnified, shewing 

 the fringes — The same, of the natural size. 2. Corolla and Sta- 

 mens. 3. Nectary, Germen, and Stigmas, with the long styles. 



Ohs. — Culms from a foot and a half to three feet high, accordino- 

 to the nature of the soil in which it grows ; in moist deep 

 loams it attains the greatest height. Spike regularly cylin- 

 dric, and blunt at the top ; sometimes five or six inches long- 

 in young plants, but in old plants it is much shorter. Com- 

 pare the husks of the florets with those of the following 

 variety {Phleum pratense, var. minus), and likewise with those 

 of the next following species {Phleum nodosum, bulbous- 

 jointed cat's-tail grass), and they will be found much shorter 

 and straight in the forks or dagger-like points which ter- 

 minate them. This is a sure distinction, the length of the 

 spike being a very uncertain character, for the reason just now 

 mentioned. Root fibrous, sometimes inclining to a bulb. 

 Engl. Bot. 1076. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 75. Hort. Gram. Wob. 

 Fol. 83. German, Wiesen-Lieschgras 



Native of Britain. Perennial. 



Experiments. — About the middle of April, the produce from a 

 clayey loam is — 



Produce per Acre. 

 dr. qr. lbs. 



Grass, 8 oz. The produce per acre - 5445 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 2 3 223 15 7 



At the time of flowering, the produce is — 



Grass, 60 oz. The produce per acre - - 40837 8 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - 34 > wq;^;; ik o 



The produce of the space, ditto - 408 5 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 23481 9 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 2 2 7., cnr o « 



The produce of the space, ditto - 37 2 5 



