1115 



Mr. Watson, as characteristic of the species. The Isle-of- Wight 

 plant would seem assuredly to be the F. littorea of Wahlenberg, Fl. 

 Suec. edit. 2, i. p. 66, as well from the references to the F. elatior of 

 Smith and E. B. as from the agreement of our plant with Wahlen- 

 berg's description. The name " elatior " ought, I apprehend, to be 

 retained, as in the last edition of the ' British Flora,' for the F. arun- 

 dinacea of continental authors is in a hopeless state of confusion, and 

 I fear the characters and synonyms of F. elatior and pratensis are still 

 in a fluctuating condition. They are certainly most puzzling and am- 

 biguous species. The Isle- of- Wight F. arundinacea is a large, mari- 

 time form of Smith's elatior. 



Festuca giyantea. In moist, shady woods, copses and hedgerows; 

 not uncommon. In Quarr Copse, Shore Copse, and elsewhere about 

 Hyde. Whitefield Wood. Near Yarbridge. Knighton E. Copse, 

 by Newchurch. Shanklin Chiue, Appuldurcombe, &c. Frequent in 

 most parts of mainland Hants, so as to make a statement of localities 

 needless. A variety of a more delicate and slender aspect occurs here 

 and there, differing only in having the spikelets fewer and more re- 

 mote, the number of florets being the same in both. This I believe 

 to be the B. triflorus of Linneus, figured in E. B. xxvii. t. 1918, and 

 in Fl. Dan. iii. t. 440. The present species is nearly intermediate 

 between Festuca and Bromus, making an approach also to Brachy- 

 podium ; the habit is quite that of a Bromus. 



Bromus asper. Abundant in most parts of the county and Isle of 

 Wight, in damp woods, copses, groves, and thick, shady hedgerows. 

 One of the tallest and most graceful of our grasses, often upwards of 

 six feet high, and most conspicuous from its large panicle, elegantly 

 drooping in all directions. 



Bromus erectus. On dry, sandy or chalky, open pastures, banks, 

 and by road-sides ; very rare, or at all events very local, in Hants. 

 At Luccombe, Isle of Wight, where it appears to have been first no- 

 ticed by Dawson Turner, Esq., and communicated by him to the au- 

 thor of the ' Flora Vectiana' !!! It still grows there in plenty, along 

 the steep descent into the chine from the Bonchurch and Shanklin 

 Road, above Rose Cliff, and in vast abundance on the sloping side of 

 the down above the road between Luccombe and Bonchurch, here 

 and there covering the ground, to the exclusion of every other grass, 

 at an elevation of perhaps about three hundred feet above the sea, 

 June 16, 1844. Bank by the road-side a short distance beyond Wey- 

 hill (coming from Andover), before turning off to Appleshaw, also on 

 a hedge-bank near Appleshaw, in both places plentifully, June, 1848. 



