NATURAL HISTORY. 15 



the palea, (Figs. 9 and 10.) It is distinguished from the 

 common meadow foxtail by its slender panicle, its larger spike- 

 lets, its larger ligule and the roughness of the stem and leaves. 

 It possesses no particular agricultural value. Flowers in July. 

 Annual. Native of Great Britain. 



Floating Foxtail, (^alopecvrus geniculatus.') Stem ascend- 

 ing, bent and forming knees at the lower joints, as shown in 

 Fig. 11 ; awn projecting beyond the palea, (Fig. 12,) which 

 is rather shorter than the obtuse glumes ; anthers linear, upper 

 leaf as long as its sheath ; root perennial, fibrous, joints smooth, 

 long and narrow, of a })urple tinge ; leaves flat, sharp, roughish 

 on both sides, serrated on the edge. Inflorescence simple 

 panicled ; spikelets numerous, compressed, erect, with a one 

 awned floret as large as the calyx. Floret of one palea, awn 

 slender. Found in moist meadows, ditches, ponds and slow 

 streams, floating on the water. It is distinguished from memdow 

 foxtail in having the upper sheath about the length of its leaf, 

 and by the projecting awn, while in the meadow foxtail the 

 upper sheath is more than twice the length of its leaf. Flowers 

 in July and August. 



It is a grass not much relished by stock of any kind, while it 

 yields but a small amount of herbage. 



The Wild Water Foxtail, {alopocunis aristidatvs,') also 

 grows in wet meadows, but is of no special agricultural value. 

 Native of Great Britain. 



Timothy, or Herds-grass, (^phleum p7'atense.') Generic char- 

 acters : Panicle spiked, spikelets compressed, palea shorter than 

 the awned glumes, the lower one truncate, usually awiiless ; 

 styles distinct, filaments hairy, spike dense, rough, or harsh. 

 So called from an ancient Greek term signifying cat's tail, the 

 name by which it is still most frequently known in Great Britain. 



Specific characteristics : Spikes cylindrical or elongated ; 

 glumes hairy on the back, tipped with a bristle less than half 

 their length leaves long, flat, rough, with long sheaths ; root 

 fibrous, often bulbous — perennial. Grows best on moist, peaty 

 soils. (Fig. 13.) In Fig. 14 is seen a flower somewhat magni- 

 fied. This grass — universally known and highly valued among 

 the farmers of New England — is said to have received its name 

 more than a century and a half ago from one Herd, of Piscata- 

 qua, who is said to have found it growing in a swamp there. 



