378 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. / 



deeply cloven, with an intermediate point ; both valves con- 

 cave ; seed loose, depressed. 



Pua decumbens. Decumbent Meadow-grass. Engl. Bot. 792 

 Hort. Gram. Fol. 288, 289. 



Festuca decumbens. Decumbent Fescue. Flo. Dan. 162 

 Willdw. i. 424. 



Specific character: Panicle nearly simple, contracted, erect 

 spikelets oval oblong ; florets four, their middle tooth 

 shortest ; stipula hairy; calyx smooth, root somewhat creep- 

 ing. See Sm. Engl. Fl. 



Obs. — Culms decumbent, from ten to eighteen inches long; 

 root-leaves flat, hairy on the upper surface, especially at the 

 base ; stem-leaves shorter ; sheaths villose towards the top, a 

 little compressed, striated ; the place of the sheath-scale is 

 supplied with a row of short hairs ; panicle very simple, little 

 branches alternate, simple, shortest one 1 -flowered, the longest 

 one two-flowered; flowers from three to four, the terminating 

 one always sterile. Flo. Ger. 



Native of Britain. Root perennial. 



Experiments. — At the time of flowering, 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 1 2 ^ ,^7 q 14 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 3 3 



The produce of latter-math is — 



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



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 11^ fifi 7 7 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 1 2| 3 



It is chiefly confined to high wet barren pastures, though some- 

 times found in those that are dry. On some particular spots 

 among the trees in Woburn Park, it is found growing in company 

 with the Carex axillaris. It appears to be but little susceptible of 

 improvement by being transplanted to a richer soil ; as the pro- 

 duce from a rich black loam scarcely exceeded the above-stated 

 produce, from a clayey loam, without any manure. It never ap- 

 peared to be cropped by the deer in the Park. It is late in the 

 production of foliage in the spring, and produces little after-grass : 

 it is not, therefore, to be recommended for cultivation. 



