116 GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 



floret ; — whereas in B. racemosus and B. mollis it is half-way between 

 its base and the summit of the third floret, (Fig. 3.) 



Bromus arvensis frequents richer soils than the three already de- 

 scribed species, although they are frequently all found growing near the 

 same spot. It is also of more value, affording a considerable weight 

 of nutritive hay, especially if cut at the time of flowering ; but if left 

 unmown till the seed is ripe, the crop becomes comparatively of no 

 value. The principal merit of this grass is its herbage in spring, af- 

 fording an early bite to sheep and lambs. It is a frequent grass in 

 the neighbourhood of Edinburgh as well as in England and Ireland ; 

 also a native of Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, 

 and West Asia. Not known in America. Its limit of altitude is about 

 500 feet above the sea. Flowers in the second week of June, and 

 ripens its seed in the first week of July. 



77. Bromus sterilis.* 

 Barren Brome- Gross. 



Specific Characters. — Large glume three-ribbed. Awn longer than 

 thepalea. Outer palea seven-ribbed. Panicle drooping. (Plate L.) 

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

 nual, creeping. Stem round, roughish, and striated, bearing four or 

 five leaves, with striated, roughish, slightly pubescent sheaths ; the 

 upper sheath about equal in length to its leaf ; crowned with an ob- 

 tuse ragged ligule. Joints five, naked. Leaves flat, linear, acute, 

 roughish, pubescent, and furnished with a few straggling white 

 hairs, especially on the upper surface. Injlorescence panicled, of a 

 light-green, frequently tinged with purple. Panicle spreading, droop- 

 ing, its branches long, slender, rough, slightly divided, the lower ones 

 mostly in pairs, arising from the rough acutely angular rachis. 

 Spikelets long and lanceolate, usually of eight awned florets. CalT/.r 

 of two unequal acute glumes (Fig. 1), the upper one with three 

 rough ribs, minutely toothed on the upper half; the lower glume 

 without lateral ribs, sharply toothed on the upper half of the keel. 

 Florets of two palese (Fig. 2) ; the outer palea of lowermost floret 



* Bromus sterilis, Linn. Hooker, Smith, Greville, Lindley, Koch. 



