428 GE AMINES. [PHLEUM. 



fascicled ; empty glumes linear-oblong, obliquely truncate below the short 

 rigid subulate awn, very coriaceous, green ; margins white, punctulate ; 

 /. glume minute ; anthers linear-oblong. DISTRIB. Europe, Siberia, Dahuria. 



7. ALOPECU'RUS, L. FOX-TAIL GRASS. 



Spikelets much laterally compressed, in spikelike cylindric panicles, 

 1-fld. Empty glumes subequal, often connate below, awnless, a little 

 exceeding the flowering. Fl. glume hyaline, 1 -nerved, convolute, edges 

 connate at the base; awn bent, inserted at the middle of the back. 

 Palea (in British species). Scales 0. Stamens 3. Ovary glabrous ; 

 styles connate, stigmas with short simple hairs. Fruit laterally com- 

 pressed, enclosed in the palea. DISTRIB. N. and S. temp, and cold 

 regions ; species 14. ETYM. d\t*irn and ovpd, fox-tail. 



* Empty glumes connate to or nearly to the middle. 



1. A. aerrestis, L. ; panicle acute, keel of subglabrous glumes nar- 

 rowly winged shortly ciliate, awn twice as long as the 11. glume. 



Fields and roadsides, common in England; rare and hardly indigenous in 

 Scotland; not a native of Ireland; a colonist, Watson.; fl. May-Oct. 

 Annual, scaberulous. Stem 1-2 ft., lowest joint prostrate. Leaves flat, 

 edges rough; sheath smooth; ligule large, tmncate. Panicle 2-3 in., 

 slender, often purplish, flexuous ; branches very short, pilose, with 2 spike- 

 lets. Empty glumes in., lanceolate, pale, connate to the middle, acute, 

 incurved ; fl. glume a little exserted, glabrous. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, 

 Siberia; introd. in N. America. A troublesome weed. 



2. A. alpi'nus, Sm. ; panicle short ovoid obtuse, keel of acute silky 

 empty glumes silkily ciliate, awn very short. 



Springs and edges of streams in the Alps of Ross, Aberdeen, Forfar, and 

 Inverness, 2,100 to 3,600 ft. ; fl. July-Aug. Perennial. Stem creeping 

 below, then erect, 6-18 in., rather stout, smooth, contracted at the top. 

 Leaves short, broad, flat ; sheaths inflated, upper much longer than its leaf ; 

 ligule short, obtuse. Panicle -$ in. , ^- in', broad, dense ; branches with 

 4-6 spikelets, short, silky. Empty glumes in., ovate, very silky, shining; 

 fl. glume glabrous, obtuse ; awn variable, from the middle of the palea, 

 rarely ; anthers linear, yellow. DISTRIB. Spitzbergen, Arctic Siberia, 

 Greenland, America, Fuegia. 



** Empty glumes free or connate towards the base. 



3. A. praten sis, L. ; panicle slender cylindric obtuse, keel of pilose 

 acute empty glumes villously ciliate, awn twice as long as the fl. glume. 

 Meadows and pastures, ascending to nearly 2,000 ft. in the N. of England ; 



fl. May-June. Perennial, stoloniferous. Stems 1-3 ft., erect or lowest 

 joint inclined, smooth. Leaves scabernlous, flat ; sheath smooth, upper in- 

 flated, longer than its leaf ; ligule large, truncate. Panicle li~2^ in., dense, 

 soft, pale green ; branches very short, with 3-6 spikelets. Empt;/ glumes 

 in., ovate-lanceolate, acute ; fl. glume subacute, glabrous, ciliate, margins 

 connate J-J of its length. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia, Dahuria, 

 W. Asia to N.W. India; introd. in America. A. pronus, Mitten, is a pros- 

 trate state. Babington states that the stems are tuberous at the base in 

 salt marshes. An excellent fodder. 



4. A. bulbo'sus, L. ; stem smooth base tuberous, panicle slender 



