104 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



Poajluitans is common throughout Scotland, England, and Ire- 

 land ; also a native of Norway, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, 

 France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, North Africa, New Holland, and 

 North America. 



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

 end of July or beginning of August. 



69. Bucetum loliaceum. * 

 Slender Fescue- Grass. 



Specific Character. — Infloresence racemed. (Plate XLV.) 

 Description. — It grows from one to two feet high. The root is per- 

 ennial, fibrous. Stem erect, smooth, round and striated, bearing 

 four or five leaves with smooth striated sheaths ; upper sheath much 

 longer than its leaf; crowned with a very short, slightly decurrent 

 lisfule, embracing the stem more on the one side than on the other. 

 Joints three or four, smooth ; the first and second rather remote. 

 Leaves lanceolate, flat, acute, upper leaf smaller than those below, 

 scabrous at the point, rough on the inner surface, and smooth at the 

 back. Inflorescence racemed, having a spiked appearance. Raceme 

 about one-third the length of the stem ; the rachis flattish, and more 

 or less scabrous, leaning slightly to one side. Spikelets of an acute 

 oval form, arranged in two opposite rows along the rachis, on short 

 footstalks ; sometimes two spikelets arise from the same base. Calyx 

 of two unequal smooth glumes (Fig. 1), containing from six to ten 

 awnles florets ; the upper glume three-ribbed ; the lower one without 

 lateral ribs. Florets of two palese (Fig. 2), the outer palea of lower- 

 most floret nearly twice the length of the calyx, five-ribbed, the later- 

 al ribs more conspicuous on the upper part, the dorsal rib not extend- 

 ing quite to the summit. Inner palea linear, pointed, membranous, 

 furnished with two green marginal ribs, minutely fringed. 



Qls, — This grass is distinguished from Lolium perenne, (which it 

 somewhat resembles in its general appearance), in having two glumes, 

 and the spikelets more or less pedunculated ; — whereas in L. perenne 

 the spikelets are perfectly sessile, and the calyx composed of but one 

 glume. (See Plate LXV.) 



* Bucetum loliacetm, Pamell. Fesfuca loliacea, Smith, Hooker, Greville, Koch. 



