II] LIGULE AND LAMINA 19 
of water which has run down the leaf, and so lessen the 
danger of rotting between the sheath and stem: possibly 
the shelves and ears commonly met with at the base of 
the lamina (Fig. 12) aid in the same process. This ligule 
may be long or short, acute or obtuse, toothed or entire, or 
it may be reduced to a mere line, or tuft of hairs, or even 
be obsolete, and is of considerable value in classification— 
e.g. the ligule is obsolete or wanting in Melica, Festuca 
ovina, F. Myurus, F. elatior, Keleria and Panicum. 
It is represented by a tuft of hairs in Molina, Triodia 
and Arundo. 
Fig.11. Lolium perenne. Fig.12. Festuca elatior, Fig. 13. Festuca 
A, base of lamina, var. pratensis. A, ovina. <A, base 
B, ligule. C, sheath base of lamina. B, of lamina. B, 
(x3). Note the low the extremely short ligular ears. C, 
ribs, and absence of ligule, with pointed sheath (x about 
hairs (glabrous). ears. C, sheath 4). Stebler. 
( x 3). 
Our other ordinary grasses have a more or less well- 
developed membranous ligule (Fig. 8). 
The leaf-blade is long or short, broad or narrow, but 
always of some elongated form such as linear, linear- 
lanceolate or linear-acuminate, or subulate, setaceous, &c., 
varying as to the degree of acuteness of the apex, and 
the tapering of the base. 
