TRIANDRIA DIGYNIA. lil 
This plant is generally met with on dry 
fandy fea fhores, and in fuch places is not 
without value, for it forms great tufts, and 
would, if cultivated upon the fea fhore, pre- 
vent the wind from difperfing the fand over 
many fertile acres of land adjoining.* Mr. J. 
T. Mackay, in his Catalogue of rare Plants, 
mentions it as growing abundantly on the fandy 
beach at the bottom of Burren mountains, 
county 
*® There are three graffes, although not indigenous, 
that may not be unworthy of notice in this place, from 
their utility in forming a bank again{t the irruptions of 
the waves; they are all of the genus Elymus, and the 
{pecies are the arenarius, geniculatus, and giganteus. To 
Gentlemen, whofe grounds extend along the fea fhore, 
the cultivation of thefe graffes would be of the utmoft 
importance. They arte {trong and tall-growing, thick and 
prolific in their ftems, and the roots extend and go fo 
deep in the ground, that any cover thrown on them by 
the tides would rather improve than retard their growth : 
they would foon form a bask that would effectually pre- 
yent the encroachments of the fea, In ftopping the fly- 
ing fands they are fuperior to the Arundo arenaria. A 
line of thefe graffes, planted along the fea fhore from 
Clontarf to Sutten, would have prevented the banks from 
being worn away by the waves, and would have preferved 
the car-way, which was formerly paffable, but is now a 
floaded ftrand. Gentlemen who vifit the Botanic gar- 
dens, by viewing thefe three {pecies, may judge of their 
utility for the above purpofe. 
6 
