HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 261 



The latter-math produce is very little, less, by one-half, than 

 that of the Festuca ovina: the viviparous heads form the chief 

 part of the above weight of produce, the foliage being very in- 

 considerable, and the culms small. The quantity of nutritive 

 matter it contains is greater than that afforded by an equal 

 vi^eight of the grass of the Festuca ovina, which appears to be 

 entirely owing to the number and rudiments of young plants 

 contained in the spikes of the Festuca vivipara. The nutritive 

 matter contains less sug-ar, and more bitter extractive, than the 

 nutritive matters of the Festuca ovina, Festuca duriuscula, and 

 Festuca Camhrica. 



This grass can only be propagated by parting the roots, or by 

 planting the young plants formed in the ear. This might easily 

 be effected by either means, were the grass of sufficient value to 

 be cultivated ; but from the trials that have been made of it here, 

 it appears to have no excellence that can recommend it to the 

 notice of the Agriculturist. It is natural to alpine situations. 



FESTUCA rubra. Creeping Fescue, Purple Fescue. 



Specific character: Panicle spreading; florets with long awns; 

 root creeping, Flo. Ger. 329. 



Obs. — There are two varieties of this species ; one with narrow 

 bristle-shaped root-leaves, and the other with broader leaves. 

 It has much affinity to the Festuca duriuscula, from which it 

 is distinguished by the leaves, which are broader and longer; 

 the branches of the panicle are also longer ; the sheaths of 

 the leaves are always more or less pubescent ; but the essen- 

 tial and unerring distinction is the creeping root, which, in 

 the broader-leaved variety, is nearly as strong as that of 

 common couch-grass ; in the smaller-leaved variety the root 

 is less powerfully creeping. The resemblance which exists 

 between the Festuca duriuscula, Festuca glabra, Festuca Cam- 

 hrica, and Festuca rubra, is very great ; but the difference, 

 with regard to agricultural merits or value, is not great, 

 except what arises from the creeping root of the latter ; the 

 distinction here, in this instance, is of most concern to the 

 Agriculturist. The name, purple {rubra), as applied to 

 denote such a property of the panicle of this grass, is cer- 

 tainly very erroneous, the other species, Festuca duriuscula, 

 having this colour in the panicle at the time the seed i 



