MEADOW SOFT GRASS. 129 



It grows spontaneously on deep, sandy soils, when 

 once naturalized. It has been cultivated to some ex- 

 tent in New England, and was at one time highly 

 esteemed, mainly for its early, rapid, and late growth, 

 making it very well calculated as a permanent pasture 

 grass. It will succeed on tenacious clover soils. 



52. HOLCUS. Meadow Soft Grass. 



Spikelets two-flowered, jointed with the pedicels; 

 glumes boat-shaped, membranaceous, enclosing and ex- 

 ceeding the flowers; lower flower perfect, its lower 

 palea awnless and pointless; upper flower staminate 

 only, bearing a stout bent awn below the apex. Sta- 

 mens three ; grain free, slightly grooved. 



MEADOW SOFT GRASS, VELVET GRASS (Holcus lana- 

 tus), has its spikelets crowded in a somewhat open pani- 

 cle, and an awn with the lower part perfectly smooth. 



It grows from one to two feet high; stem erect, 

 round ; root perennial, fibrous; leaves four or five, with 

 soft, downy sheaths; upper sheath much longer than its 

 leaf, inflated, ligule obtuse; joints usually four, gen- 

 erally covered with soft, downy hairs, the points of 

 which are turned downwards ; leaves pale-green, flat, 

 broad, acute, soft on both sides, covered with delicate 

 slender hairs. Inflorescence compound panicled, of a 

 greenish, reddish, or pinkish tinge ; hairy glumes, 

 oblong, tipped with a minute bristle. Florets of two 

 paleas. Flowers in June. Introduced. It is seen in 

 Fig. 109, and its flowers magnified in Figs. Ill and 112. 



This beautiful grass grows in moist fields and peaty 

 soils, but I have found it on dry, sandy soils, and on 

 upland fields, where it was cultivated with other grasses. 

 It is productive and easy of cultivation, but of very little 

 value either for pasture or hay, cattle not being fond 

 of it. When once introduced it will readily spread 



