190 HORTUS ORAMINEUS WO BU RN E N SI S. 



which terminate the larger valves of the blossom, and whicii 

 adhere to the seed, serving as a sail to waft it from rock 

 to rock, have procured it a place in the flower-gardens of 

 the curious, and serve to distinguish it at once from all 

 other grasses. Johnson, the editor of Gerarde's Herbal, 

 says it was nourished for its beauty in sundry of our 

 English gardens ; and that it was worn by sundry ladies 

 and gentlewomen instead of a feather, which it admirably 

 resembles, &c. 



It flowers about the beginning of August, and the seed is 

 ripe about the middle of September. 



ALOPECURUS agrestis. Slender Fox-tail-grass. 



Specific character : Culm erect, roughish ; spike racemose, 

 nearly simple, tapering; calyx glumes almost naked, 

 combined at the base, dilated at the keel. Ref. 1. Calyx 

 glumes magnified. 2. Corolla. 3. The same magni- 

 fied, showing the awn. 4. Germen and styles. 

 Qf)s. — This annual species of fox-tail-grass, is distin- 

 o-uished from the perennial meadow fox-tail {alopecurus 

 pratensis) by the total want of woolly hairs on the 

 spike, so conspicuous in that of the a. pratensis. The 

 husks of the calyx are united at the bottom and half- 

 way up, which is a strong character of distinction. 

 The culms are ascending at the base, afterwards erect. 

 Spike-like panicle, round, acute-pointed, from two to 

 four inches long, according to the nature of the soil ; 

 of a lead colour. 

 Native of Britain. Root annual, fibrous. 

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



a sandy loam is 8,167 lbs. per acre. 

 The above details show this grass to be one of the most 

 inferior species. The herbage it produces is comparatively 

 of no value whatever. It appears to be left untouched by 

 every description of cattle. The seed is produced in consi- 

 derable abundance, and is eaten by the smaller birds as 

 well as by pheasants and partridges. The Rev. G. Swayne 

 observes, that it is a very troublesome weed in many places 

 amono- wheat, and execrated by farmers under the name of 



