GRASSES OF BRITAIN. 



ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE SPECIES, AND 

 SEVENTY-TWO VARIETIES. 



CLASS MONOCOTYLEDONES. 



Stem with no distinction of bark, wood, and pith ; increasing in 

 the centre, so that the oldest formation is external. Leaves with 

 parallel veins. Cotyledon one ; radicle inclosed in a sheath. 



ORDER GRAMINE^. 



Sterti hollow,* closed at the joints, bearing leaves with split 

 sheaths. 



TRIBE. 

 1st. PANICE^. — Inflorescence panicled or racemed, close. Spike- 

 lets dorsally compressed. Glumes two, very unequal ; the lowermost 

 very small. Spikelets with an involucre of long bristles. Ligules 

 very short or wanting. Stijles long. Stigmas short Two genera, 

 JSchinochloa, Setaria. 



2d. CHLORIDES. — Inflorescence spiked or shortly racemed. 

 Spikelets arranged on one side only of the rachis ; each spikelet of 

 one floret, rarely two. Glumes two. Florets not awned. Four ge- 

 nera, Digitaria, Cynodon, Kiiappia, Spartiua. 



Sd. ALOPECUROIDE^.— Inflorescence close, dense. Spikelets 



* Stem solid in Ammophila aruadinacea, the only British exception. In MoUnia cce- 

 rulea and Bronuis patuhis the stems arc nearly solid. 



