64 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



hairy. Style short, combined. Stigmas long, Unear, downy, at first unit- 

 ed nearly to the summit, afterwards separate, protruding very conspi- 

 cuously beyond the palese. Scales two, membranous, acute. (Fig. 4.) 

 Obs. — This grass is so striking in its general appearance that there 

 is no other it can well be mistaken for. It is readily distinguished 

 from Alopecurus alpinus and Phleum alpinum, in the calyx containing 

 more than one floret. (See Plates IV. VI.) 



On some of the Highland mountains in Scotland, this grass is found 

 plentiful, especially on Ben Lomond, at an elevation of 3000 feet 

 above the sea. In England it is found in the counties of York, 

 Westmorland, Cumberland, and Durham. Occasionally in Ire- 

 land, in the county of Sligo, on limestone rocks. It is also found 

 in Iceland, Sweden, Germany, France, and Italy. 



Flowers in the end of April and beginning of May, and ripens its 

 seed about the middle of June. 



44. CyNOSURUS CRIST atus. * 

 Crested Dog's-tail Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Florets with a very short awn. (Plate 

 XXVIII.) 



Description. — It grows from twelve to eighteen inches high. The 

 root is perennial, fibrous, tufted. Stem erect, round, smooth, and 

 finely striated, bearing five leaves with smooth sheaths ; the upper 

 sheath longer than its leaf, crowned with a short obtuse ligule. 

 Joints smooth. Leaves flat, narrow, acute, rough on the inner surface, 

 smooth and glossy behind. Inflorescence simple panicled. Panicle 

 erect, from an inch to an inch and a-half or more in length, linear, 

 at first green, turning brown with age ; lateral branches very short, 

 rough, arranged alternately on the rough, wavy, ribbed rachis. 

 Spikelets of three to five florets, accompanied at the base with a beau- 

 tiful pectinated involucre with rough linear acute somewhat curved 

 divisions, (Figs. 3, 4) ; the spikelets and involucres are directed to 

 one side of the rachis, which is by that means completely hidden, 



* Cynosurus cristatus, Lindley, Linn., Hooker, Smith, Grcville. 



