260 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



FESTUCA vivipara. Viviparous Fescue-grass. 



Specific character: Panicle unilateral, rather close; florets com- 

 pressed, keeled, awnless, somewhat downy, as well as the 

 edges of their inner valve and the calyx ; stem square ; leaves 

 folded, bristle-shaped, smooth. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 140 ; 

 E. Bot. 1355. 



Ohs. — I have cultivated this grass on a variety of soils, and 

 it has always continued viviparous on them all. I never 

 could obtain a floret with either stamen or pistil. The 

 gemma, or rudiment of the future plant (which here occupies 

 the place of the germen of a perfect flower),* in its first 

 stage appears like a minute globule of water, visible only 

 with the microscope ; after the spike is developed it gradu- 

 ally assumes an oblong figure, becomes pointed, and at last 

 puts forth a single leaf, after the manner of the perfect seed 

 of grasses ; other leaves succeed to this, till the weight of 

 these, now a perfect plant of grass, except the root, forces it 

 to fall from the spike on the ground, where it soon strikes 

 root. This is a curious exception to the general law of 

 nature, in the propagation of plants by their seed. Here is 

 a plant, which has every part of a flower except the two 

 essential parts, stamens and pistils, for its propagation, and 

 for its admission into this class of the system of Linnaeus. 

 Yet from this imperfect flower it produces perfect plants. 

 A great number of other grasses are viviparous, as Alopecurus 

 pratensis, Ci/nosurus cristatus, Poa alpina, Phleum pratense, 

 Anthoxauthum odoratum, &,c. &c. ; but in these the seed is 

 first perfected, and merely vegetates in the husk from acci- 

 dental circumstances, as growing in shaded places, and from 

 long continuance of moist warm weather. 



German, Schaaf-Sclmiiigel. 



Experiments. — At the time of flowering, or when the spike 

 is perfectly developed, the produce from a light sandy soil 

 is — 



Produce per Acre, 

 lbs. 

 Grass, 10 oz. The produce per acre - 6806 4 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 80 gr. i ^r^o n /v 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 200 ) 



* See Smith's English Flora, vol. i. p. 140. 



