220 GRASSES OF BRITAIN. 



PoA BORRERI. 



Borrerian Meadoio-Grass. 

 Plate XCVIII. 



Specific Characters. — Branches and racliis rough. Ligule obtuse. 

 Ribs of florets not prominent. Florets five-ribbed. Branches of pa- 

 nicle erect. Florets not webbed. 



Description. — Root annual, fibrous, producing stems from three 

 to eight inches in length. Stems more or less prostrate, slightly 

 compressed, smooth, hollow, striated, and polished, bearing three 

 or four leaves with smooth, striated sheaths ; the upper sheath much 

 longer than its leaf. Ligule of upper sheath short and blunt, the 

 length about equal to half the breadth. Joints usually two, co- 

 vered by the sheaths, situated near the base of the stem. Leaves 

 short, rough on both surfaces except on the lower half of the outer 

 surface, the margins involute, especially when dry. Inflorescence on 

 the upper part racemed, on the lower simple and compound pani- 

 cled, the branches arising from the rachis alternately, mostly in pairs 

 of unequal lengths, seldom spreading, never deflexed ; the rachis and 

 branches rough, with minute teeth directed upwards. Spikelets si- 

 tuated in front of the rachis, somewhat linear, composed of two glumes 

 and four or five florets, the summit of lowermost floret extending be- 

 yond the large glume. Glumes unequal, obtuse, membranous at the 

 margins ; outer glume the smaller, without lateral ribs ; inner glume 

 three-ribbed, the ribs not prominent. Florets of two palese ; outer 

 palea of lowermost floret five-ribbed, the middle rib extending to the 

 summit. Inner palea rather shorter than the outer, with two green 

 ribs delicately fringed. The whole plant presents a rigid, glaucous, 

 compact appearance. 



Obs. — Poa Borreri is so closely allied to Poa procumbens that it 

 is difiicult to point out a good specific character to distinguish them ; 

 yet, at the same time, I believe the two plants to be perfectly dis- 

 tinct ; the only distinguishable character, however, being, that in 

 Poa Borreri the spikelets are about half the size, of a less linear form, 

 and the ribs of the florets less prominent. 



Sclerocldoa Borreri, Babington. 



