126 HORTUS (iRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



former grass is superior to this one, in the proportion 

 nearly of 25 to 8. This shows how important a point it is 

 to distinguish one variety of grass from another, when they 

 are so very much ahke in outward characters as in the 

 above instance. The seeds are also very similar to each 

 other, or rather the marks which distinguish them from 

 each other are minute. This is much later in the produce 

 of herbage in the spring than the larger variety, and it is 

 much less nutritive. It is more common on tenacious soils 

 than in such as are rich, in company with the true meadow 

 cat's-tail. It flowers and perfects its seed about a week 

 later than the preceding variety. 



PHLEUM nodosum. Bulbous-jointed Cat's-tail Grass. 



Specific character : Spike cylindrical ; culm knee-bent, 

 furnished with bulbs at the lower joints, which send 

 out branches. 



Ohs. — There is still another variety of the j^hleumpratense, 

 distinct from the preceding, and which may be mistaken 

 for the phleum nodosum : that variety grows on poor 

 clayey soils, particularly by road-sides. It approaches 

 to the present species, in having the root somewhat 

 bulbous ; the straw is likewise ascending, but not knee- 

 bent, as in the phleum nodosum : these characters con- 

 tinue constant when the plant is cultivated on different 

 soils, i. e. on light sandy soil, heath soil, and tena- 

 cious clay. It is smaller in every respect than the two 

 varieties of which specimens have been given. The 

 p. nodosum differs from the p. pratense in having knee- 

 bent culms, bulbs growing out at the root of the stem- 

 leaves, which in time become plants. Culm leaves 

 shorter and smooth, except at the edges. Anthers 

 white. The dagger-like points of the husk are also 

 longer, and more reflexed than in those of the phleum 

 pratense. Native of Britain. Root bulbous. Peren- 

 nial. 



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

 a clayey loam is 12,251 lbs. per acre. 



