HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 297 



cultivated state, that ripens more seed than the barren brome- 

 grass. Mr. Curtis affirms, that it acquired the name sterilis, or 

 barren, from its inutility with respect to cattle ; which appears 

 most probable. Ray calls it great wild oat-grass, or drank. 



The produce, as stated above, will appear great when compared 

 to the appearance of the grass when growing ; it is owing, how- 

 ever, to the large size of the panicle and spikelets, which constitute 

 the greater proportion of the weight of produce. This circum- 

 stance induced me to submit the given weight of the flowering 

 panicles to experiment ; the result was, that 64 dr. of the flower- 

 ing panicles afforded 2 dr. 2 qr. of nutritive matter. The nutritive 

 powers of the culms and leaves, conjunctly, are therefore twice as 

 great as those of the flowering panicles. When the seed is per- 

 fected, the nutritive matter contained in the culms and leaves is 

 comparatively nothing. The long sharp awns with which the 

 spikelets are armed must prevent cattle from eating it. It grows 

 chiefly under hedges, and on banks by the road-sides, where it is 

 very common ; but it is seldom found beyond the reach of the 

 shade. I never could observe that any of it had been touched 

 by cattle. When mown before the time of flowering, it is less 

 disposed to send up secondary shoots from the roots than most 

 other of the annual grasses, and may therefore be overcome by 

 one or two mowings in the season ; but its local place of growth 

 prevents it from being troublesome, as a weed, in the field. 



It flowers in the first and second weeks of July, and the seed 

 is ripe about the beginning and middle of August. 



BROMUS diandrus. Upright Annual Brome-grass. 



Specific character : Panicle erect, a little spreading, scarcely 

 subdivided ; florets lanceolate, with two close marginal ribs, 

 and only two stamens. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 160. 



Obs. — Culms from half a foot to a foot in height, erect, but 

 somewhat procumbent at the base, round, scored or striated, 

 smooth ; panicle always erect, at first compact, afterwards 

 spreading ; spikelets straight ; outer valve of the corolla 

 spear-acuminate, a little compressed, margin membraneous, 

 seven-nerved, apex divided. E. Bot. 1006; Curt. Lond. 

 fasc. 70; Host. t. 17 ; Flo. Ger. 366; B. Madriteusis. 



Festuca avenacea sterilis pediculis brevioribus et spicis erectis. 

 Moris, s. 8, t. 7, f. 13. 



German, Madrifische Trespe. 



