11] HABITATS 27 
Grasses as a rule are devoid of strong scents? or tastes, 
but Anthoxanthum has a faint but distinct sweet odour, 
especially as it dries—it is one of the grasses which give the 
scent to new-mown hay—and a bitter flavour, and Miliwm, 
HMierochloe and Holcus are also more or less bitter. Spar- 
tina stricta emits a strong unpleasant odour. 
The habitat of grasses is of great importance as an aid 
to determination. No one would expect to find a sea-shore 
grass growing in a beech-forest, or an aquatic grass on a 
dry chalk-down; but they are even more true to their 
habitats than this, and I append the following lists of 
habitats of British grasses as of use in determining 
them, though it is not pretended that the limits are 
absolute. 
In the following list “ pasture-grass” (P) means useful 
for grazing, and “meadow-grass” (M) one that is especially 
valuable for mowing—i.e. for hay. A “weed” (W) is used 
in its agricultural sense for a grass not useful and not 
wanted on cultivated land, though often found there. 
MEADOW- AND PASTURE-GRASSES. 
(P and M) Dactylis glomerata (fields, &c.). 
(P and M) Poa trivialis (meadow and pasture). 
(W) Bromus arvensis (cultivated and waste places, meadow and 
pasture). 
(W) SB. sterilis (ruderal). 
(P and M) Poa pratensis (meadow and pasture). 
(W) Briza media (meadow and pasture). 
(P) Avena pratensis (meadow and pasture, especially hilly). 
(P) <A. pubescens (var.)—dry. 
' The most marked exceptions are the lemon-scented grasses (especi- 
ally Andropogon) of India and Ceylon. 
