72 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



gins, without lateral ribs, lobed at the base. Inner palea membra- 

 nous, about equal in length to the outer palea, furnished with two 

 green marginal ribs, delicately fringed on the upper part. 



This grass is best suited for poor soils, as manure or rich ground is 

 even hurtful to it. Horses, cows, and sheep eat it, but is of little 

 value as a pasture grass, as it grows only on such soils as are not 

 beneficial to the growth of the more superior grasses. 



This is a frequent grass throughout Scotland, England, and Ire- 

 land, especially in fields and pastures of poor soil. It is also a native 

 of Norway, Sweden, Prussia, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, 

 Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Russia, and the United States. 

 It has not been found in Lapland, or further north than latitude 62. 

 Its limit of altitude is about 1500 feet above the sea. 



Flowers in the last week of June, and ripens its seed in July. 



50. HiEROCHLOE BOREALIS.* 



Holy-Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Branches of the panicle smooth. Leaves 

 fiat. (Plate XXXL) 



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

 root is perennial, creeping. Stem erect, round, smooth, and rather 

 stout, bearing three or four leaves with smooth striated sheaths ; the 

 upper sheath much longer than its leaf, slightly tumid, crowned with 

 a prominent, broad, obtuse, ligule. Joints smooth, situated near the 

 base, covered by the sheaths. Leaves short, broad, lanceolate, rough 

 on the inner surface, smooth behind. Inflorescence compound pani- 

 cled. Panicle erect, upper part somewhat drooping ; branches 

 spreading, smooth, purplish, arising from the rachis in pairs. Spike- 

 lets rather large, of a glossy brownish green, tinged with purple, 

 of three awnless florets, the upper one perfect, the two lower ones 

 barren, all concealed witliin the calyx. Calyx of two nearly equal 

 broad, acute, smooth glumes (Fig. 1,) without lateral ribs. Florets 

 of two palea (Fig. 2), the outer palea of lowermost floret five-rib- 

 bed, somewhat hairy, roughish at the keel, fringed at the margins. 



* Hkrochhe borealk, Smith? Hooker, Lindley. Hierochloe odorata, Koch. 



