HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 107 



little nutritive. The nutritive matter contains a little more 

 saccharine matter, in proportion to the other ingredients, 

 than what is contained in the nutritive matter of the awned 

 variety. Hares give a decided preference to the awnless 

 variety. If this grass had merits which entitled it to a place 

 among the superior grasses, it could not be cultivated with 

 advantage, on account of its deficiency of seed, and impa- 

 tience of being transplanted by parting the roots. It can 

 only be offered, therefore, as a botanical curiosity. 

 It flowers a week later than the awned variety. 



BROMUS arvensis. Field Brome-grass. 



Bromus racemosus. Smooth Brome-grass. 



Specific character : Panicle almost upright, spreading, 

 slightly branched ; spikelets ovate oblong, naked ; florets 

 imbricated, depressed, ribbed ; awns as long as the 

 glumes; leaves somewhat downy. Fig. 1. Lower part 

 of a spikelet magnified, showing the calyx, and a floret 

 with the awn on the larger valve of the corolla. 2. Nec- 

 tary. 3. Germen and short-feathered stigmas. 



Obs. — This species resembles, in some measure, the Bro- 

 mus multijiorus : but the spikelets being much more 

 linear, and the brown or purple tinge on the under side 

 of the spikelets, readily distinguish them. 



Native of Britain. Root annual. 



Experiments. — At the time of flowering, the produce from 

 a sandy loam is 23,821 lbs. per acre. 



This species of brome-grass appears, from the results of 

 all my observations, to be confined to rich pastures and 

 meadows, while the next two following species, bromus 

 multijiorus and bromus mollis, are chiefly found to prevail 

 on poor or exhausted grass lands. They arc all strictly 

 annual. This species appears to be the most valuable of the 

 three. When this grass is mown at the time of flowering, 

 it affords a considerable weight of nutritive hay; but when 

 left uncut till the time the seed is ripe, it is then compara- 

 tively of no value. 



