78 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



situations ; but on dry exposed situations it is altogether inconside- 

 rable, yearly diminishes, and ultimately dies off, not unfrequently in 

 the space of four or five years. Its produce is always much greater 

 when combined with other grasses, than when cultivated by itself; 

 with a proper admixture it will nearly double its produce, though on 

 the same soil, so much it delights in shelter. This grass should be 

 cut for hay during the time when in seed, as the loss sustained by 

 taking the crop at the time of flowering exceeds one-fourth of its 

 value. To have land covered thickly with this grass, it will require 

 rather more than seven pounds of seed to the acre. 



Poa trivialis is common in moist and shady situations, and is found 

 in every county throughout Scotland, England, and Ireland. It is 

 also a native of Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, Ger- 

 many, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Asia, Iceland, 

 and North America. 



Flowers in the third week of June, and ripens its seed in the mid- 

 dle of July. 



53. Poa nemoralis.* 

 Wood Meadony-Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Florets webbed. Outer palea five- ribbed. 

 Uppermost sheath not longer than its leaf. (Plate XXXVI.) 



Description. — It grows from eighteen inches to two feet high. The 

 root is perennial, creeping. Stem erect, slender, scarcely smooth, com- 

 pressed ; bearing five or six leaves with smooth striated sheaths ; the 

 upper sheath not longer than its leaf, crotcned with a very short obtuse 

 ligule. Joints about five, smooth ; the first joint about half way up 

 the stem, not covered by the second sheath. Leaves linear, narrow, 

 acute, flat, rough on the edges and inner surface, smooth behind on 

 the lower half. Inflorescence compound panicled. Panicle slightly 

 drooping, the branches roughish, slender, spreading, the lower ones 

 in pairs, threes, or fours. Spikelets ovate, acute, slightly compressed, 

 of three or five awnless florets ; the summit of the lowermost extend- 

 ing slightly beyond the large glume of the calyx. Calyx of two 



* Poa nemoralis, Koch, Hooker, Greville, Leers. {Poa nemoralh of Smitli lias no web ; 

 I know not therefore to what species it can be referred). 



