HORTUS GKAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 193 



sell to the neighbouring inhabitants, as a cheap and no 

 despicable substitute for hair brooms. In Anglesea it flou- 

 rishes in the neighbourhood of the copper works of Pary's 

 mountain, while almost every other vegetable, even lichens, 

 are injured or destroyed. In deep sands, on the confines of 

 peat-bogs, this grass is frequent; also from sand banks, 

 under hedges enclosing heath soils, it is seldom absent. li, 

 grows to the greatest height on deep peat soils that are not 

 subject to be overflown, but dry for the most part of the year. 

 This grass is useful to point out the fitness of such soils as 

 that last mentioned for the production of ash, alder, and wil- 

 low trees, &,c. ; and it will be found, that on such parts of 

 the peat as are destitute of this grass they will not succeed 

 so well, if at all. 



It flowers about the beginning and middle of August, 

 and the seed is ripe towards the middle and latter end of 

 September. 



NARDUS stricta. Upright Matt-grass. 



Specific character : Spike slender, straight ; the florets 

 pointing in one direction ; leaves thrice the leno-th of 

 their sheaths. 



Obs. — Culm with a single joint near its base, and one 

 bristle-like leaf. Root-leaves long, thread-shaped. Flo- 

 rets all pointing one way ; before flowering, pressed 

 close to the spike-stalk, which has small excavations to 

 receive the florets, afterwards spreading out. The culm 

 is twice the length, at the time the seed is ripe, of what 

 it is at the time of flowering. Root fixed firmly in the 

 ground, on account of its tenacious fibres, which take a 

 flexuose direction. On precipices, therefore, its dense 

 tufts of leaves, though dangerous to the footing, afford 

 to the hand of the botanist or naturalist the best security 

 from the danger of falling. " Gramen invisum naturai 

 alpestris scrutatoribus, quod vias lubricas reddat ; sed 

 quod densis cespitibus crescat, firmiterque terrae inhae- 

 reat, saepe etiam gratissimum in praecipitiis, quod pro- 

 fundissime ad radicem manupreheiiswn impediat lapsum" 

 Native of Britain. Root fibrous. Perennial. 



