GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 19 



•pellation which it received from Timothy Hanson, who culti\atod it on 

 a considerable scale in North America for agricultm-al purposes. It 

 is a hard coarse grass, not much liked either by horses, cows, goats, 

 or sheep, and swine refuse it It has been highly recommended for 

 the purpose of hay, as the stems during the time the seeds are ripe 

 contain more nutritive matter than the stems of most other grasses ; 

 but the deficiency in the produce of the after-math and the slowness 

 of its growth after being cut, are defects which are not compensated 

 by the superior quantity of nutritive matter contained in the stems of 

 the seed crop. It is therefore the opinion of Mr Sinclair, that it is 

 unfit for cultivation by itself as an alternate husbandry grass, but of 

 great value as a constituent of any mixture of grasses for permanent 

 pasture, or the alternate husbandry, where it should always form a 

 f)art of the crop. It grows best in moist tenacious soils, and is com- 

 mon throughout the whole of Britain. It also occurs in Lapland, 

 Norway, and Sweden, and as far south as the ^Mediterranean. It has 

 been found in the most northern parts of North America, but is sup- 

 posed to have been introduced into the United States. Its limit of 

 altitude about 1500 feet above the sea. 



Flowers in the third week in June, and ripens its seed in the end 

 of July. 



9. PhLEUM ALPINUM.* 



Alpine Cafs-tail Grass. 



Specific Character. — Glumes one-third longer than their awns. 

 (Plate VI.) 



Description. — It grows from six to twelve inches high. The root 

 is perennial, knotty, and somewhat creeping. Stem erect, round, and 

 smooth, bearing four or five leaves with smooth, striated sheaths ; 

 the upper leaf inflated, longer than its leaf, crowned with a short, 

 obtuse ligule. Joints smooth. Leaves flat, acute, smooth on both 

 surfaces, roughish on the margins. Inflorescence simple panicled. 

 Panicle erect, close, bristly, not exceeding an inch in length, of an 

 oval form, tinged with brownish purple. Spikelets small and nume- 



• Pitlcum alpinum, Linn. Koch, Smith, Hooker. 



