GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 27 



Flowers in the first week in July, and ripens its seed in the end 

 of August. 



15. Phalaris arukdinacea.* 

 Reed Canary Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Panicle long and narrow. Base of floret 

 with two linear tufts of hairs. (Plate IX.) 



Description. — It grows from two to five feet high. The root is 

 perennial, creeping, with long horizontal shoots. Stem erect, round, 

 smooth ; bearing five or six leaves with" smooth striated sheaths ; up- 

 per sheath much longer than its leaf, crowned with a long membra- 

 nous decurrent ligule ; the ligules on the lower sheaths more obtuse. 

 Joints smooth, of a darkish purple, especially the lower ones. Leaves 

 broad, of a light green, acute, harsh, flat, ribbed ; the central rib the 

 most prominent ; roughish on both surfaces, but more so behind ; the 

 edges minutely toothed. Injlorescence compound panieled. Panicle 

 erect, long, and narrow, at first close, afterwards more spreading ; the 

 rachis and branches very rough. Spikelets numerous, crowded, often 

 of a purplish tinge, sometimes white or pale green, occasionally of 

 rich shades of purple and yellow, with large dark anthers : of one awn- 

 less floret, [concealed within the calyx. Cahjx of two nearly equal 

 acute glumes, (Fig. 1), three-ribbed; sides roughish, the keels mi- 

 nutely toothed. Floret of two paleae, (Fig. 2), the outer palea acute, 

 roughish, hairy at the margins, furnished at the base with two linear 

 tufts of hairs about one-third the length of the palea, (outer corolla 

 of Schrader). Inner palea rather shorter than the outer palea, mem- 

 branous, gloss}', with the margins of the upper part delicately fringed. 



Obs. — A beautiful variety of this grass is sometimes cultivated in 

 gardens under the name of Painted Lady-grass or Ribbon-grass, 

 with the leaves elegantly striped with green and white, occasionally 

 with a purplish tinge. 



This grass produces a large and early crop, and will bear cutting 

 three times during the summer, but, from the coarseness of its foliage^ 

 cattle are said not to be fond of it. It is best suited for tenacious clavev 



• Phalaris arundliacci, Linn. Smith, Hooker, Koch, Grevillc. 



