46 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO [CH. 
on downs and dry chalk-soils. Several varieties are recog- 
nised by agriculturists, as hard, red, various-leafed, fine- 
leafed Fescue, &c. (see Figs. 18 and 18). 
Festuca Myurus, L. (Rat’s-tail Fescue). Annual, longer 
auricles, and hair on the ribbed inrolled surface. A road- 
side weed. 
Festuca ovina presents difficulties with its varieties and with 
F. Myurus, L. (var. sevwroides, Roth.). 
The chief varieties of /. ovina are Hard Fescue (7. duriuscula, L.), 
taller and with some of the upper leaves flat, and found in moister 
and rich soils: Red Fescue (/. sabulicola, Duf. or F. rubra, L.) more 
or less creeping and with red sheaths to the lower leaves, on poor 
stony land—/. heterophylla is a form of this on chalky soils, with 
flat leaves above: and /. tenuifolia a very wiry form on sheep- 
lands. They all pass into one another, however, and cannot be 
distinguished by the leaves (see Figs. 18—20). 
F. Myurus (var. sciwroides) is ruderal and annual, and has longer 
hairs on the ridges of the folded leaves. It has no agricultural value. 
(2) Ligule membranous, not auricled. 
(a) Bristle-like (setaceous) leaves, very hard and stiff, and 
more or less solid. 
Nardus stricta, L. (Moor Mat-grass). Roots very tough 
and stringy: ligule small, but thick and blunt. Leaves 
channelled: upper erect, lower horizontal. Sheath smooth. 
Moors and sandy heaths: useless (Figs. 2 and 26). 
Aira flecuosa, L. (Wavy Hair-grass). Roots fibrous. 
Leaves short, filiform, terete, solid—the channel hardly 
discernible. Ligule short, obtuse. Heaths, &c. Of little 
use, even for sheep (Fig. 28). 
(8) Leaves bristle-like, but distinctly due to inrolling of 
edges. 
Aira caryophyllea, L. (Silvery Hair-grass), is scabrid. 
A weed, with very slight foliage. 
