NATURAL HISTORY. 69 



It grows spontaneously on deep, sandy soils, when once 

 naturalized. It has been cultivated to some extent in Now 

 England, and is esteemed by those who know it, mainly for its 

 early, rapid and late growth, making it very well calculated as 

 a permanent pasture grass. It will succeed on tenacious clover 

 soils. 



Meadow Soft Grass, Velvet Grass, (Jiolcus lanatus,') has 

 its spikelets crowded in a somewhat open panicle, and an awn 

 with the lower part perfectly smooth. The generic characters 

 are, two flowered spikelets jointed with the pedicels, glumes 

 boat-shaped, membranaceous, inclosing and exceeding the 

 flowers ; lower flower perfect, its lower palea awnless and point- 

 •less, upper flower staminate only, bearing a stout bent awn 

 below the apex. Stamens three ; grain free, slightly grooved. 



This species gi*ows from one to two feet high, stem erect, round, 

 root perennial, fibrous, leaves four or five, with soft, downy 

 sheaths, upper sheath much longer than its leaf, inflated, ligule 

 obtuse, joints usually four, generally covered with soft, downy 

 hairs the points of which are turned downwards ; leaves pale 

 green, flat, broad, acute, soft on both sides, covered with deli- 

 cate slender hairs. Inflorescence compound panicled, of a 

 greenish, reddish or pinkish tinge ; hairy glumes, oblong, 

 tipped with a minute bristle. Florets of two palese. Flowers 

 in June. Introduced. In Fig. 73 is seen a drawing of this 

 grass, and in Figs. 74 and 75, its flowers magnified. 



This beautiful grass grows in moist fields and peaty soils, but 

 I have found it on dry, sandy soils on Nantucket, and specimens 

 have been sent me from Boxford and other places where it grow 

 on upland fields, and was cultivated with other grasses. It is 

 productive and easy of cultivation. It is of but little value 

 either for pasture or hay, cattle not being fond of it. When 

 once introduced it will readily spread from its light seeds which 

 are easily dispersed by the wind. It does not merit cultivation 

 except on poor, peaty lands, where better grasses will not suc- 

 ceed. This grass loses about .63 of its weight in drying, and 

 the hay contains about 1.92 per cent, of nitrogen. 



The Creeping Soft Grass, (Jiolcus mollis, Fig. 76,) not yet 

 naturalized here. It is of no value, and is regarded as a 

 troublesome weed. Distinguished from the preceding by its 



