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37 



EEAGROSTIS ERAGROSTIS (L.), Beauv 



By A. S. Hitchcock. 



Eragrost 



The common grass known familiarly now as 

 major, Host, furnishes an excellent example of the vicissitudes 

 of botanical nomenclature. There appear to be two more or 

 less distinct plants which have been named, the one as above, 

 the other E. minor, Host. It is interesting to note the 

 changes of name which these have undergone in the various 

 editions of Gray's Manual. In the first edition we find 

 EragrosUs megastachya, Link (Briza Eragrostis, L.) with 

 a variety having smaller spikelets, Poa Eragrostis, L. [no 

 varietal name being given,] In the second edition appear 

 Eragrostis poceoides, Beauv., {Poa Eragrostis, L.) and 

 var. megastachya, [Gray], {Briza Eragrostis, L.) This is 

 followed in the fifth edition, while the last edition substi- 

 tutes for these, E. minor, Host, and E. major, Host. 



Linnseus defines the genus Poa as follows in the first edition 

 of his Genera Plantarum (1737, p. 20, No. 55.): "Gluma 

 multiflora, bivalvis, mutica, flores in spicam disticham ovate- 

 oblongam colligens: valvulis ovato-acuminatis." This is 

 copied in following editions (Ed. ii, 1742, p. 30, No. 69; Ed. 



iv, p. 25. No. 69; Ed. v, p. 31, No 77.) 



In the first edition of the Species Plantarum, p. 68, he 

 describes Poa Eragrostis: "Poa panicula patente, pedicel- 

 lis flexuosis, spicis serratis decemfloris. 



Gramen paniculis elegantissimis, minimum. Scheuch. 



Habitat 



»' 



The genus Briza is defined (Gen. PI. 1737, p. 18, No. 39.); 

 "Gluma multiflora, bivalvis, patens, flores in spicam cordatum 

 disticham colligens: valvulis cordatis, concavis, aequalibus 



(also Ed. ii. p. 30, No 70; Ed. iv, p. 25, No. 70; Ed. v, p. 32, 

 No. 78.) 



Eragr 



reads as follows: "Briza Spiculis lanceolatis, flosculis 

 viginti." 



Ebythea. Vol. II. No. 3. [1 March, 1891]. 



