A VENA.] GRAMINEJE. 439 



Dry pastures, from Aberdeen southwards ; ascending to 1,600 ft. in N. of 

 England ; fl. July- Aug. Root fibrous, stoloniferous. Stem 1-2 ft., erect, 

 smooth, glabrous. Leaves flat, and sheaths hairy ; ligule truncate, ciliate. 

 Panicle '2-4: in. ; branches many, capillary. Spikelets J in., many, 3-4- 

 flowered, shining, yellowish ; empty glumes ovate, acuminate ; awns very 

 divergent. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, N. Asia, Himalaya. 



SUB-GEN. 3. Arrlienatli'enim, Beauv. (gen.). Perennial. Spikelets 

 subterete. Empty glumes unequal. Fl. glumes convex ; lowest flower male. 

 Fruit pubescent, furrowed, adherent to the fl. glume and palea. 



5. A. ela'tior, L. ; panicle narrow elongate nodding, lower fl. glume 

 loiig-awned, upper usually awnless. Arrheiiatherum avenaceum, Beauv. 

 Fields, hedgerows, and pastures ; ascending to 1,500 ft. in N. of England ; fl. 

 June-July. Rootstock widely creeping, of'ten tuberous at the nodes. Stems 

 2-4 ft., erect, slender, smooth. Leaves flat, scabrid ; sheaths smooth ; ligule 

 truncate. Panicle 6-12 in. ; branches 2-3-nate, suberect, very scabrid. 

 tijiikeletis % in., pale, shining; lower empty glume much smallest; upper 

 oblong-lanceolate, acute ; fl. glumes subsessile, hairy below the middle, 

 half as long as the dark twisted bent awn. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, W. 

 Asia ; introd. in N. America. A most troublesome weed. The 2 flowering 

 glumes are sometimes equally awned. 



22. HOL'CUS; L. 



Spikelets much laterally compressed, in open panicles, 2-fld. ; lower flower 

 2-sexual, upper male. Empty glumes 2, enclosing the flowering, boat- 

 shaped, subecpual, keeled, lower 1-nerved ; upper larger, 3-nerved, notched, 

 with a small terminal awn. Fl. glumes 5-nerved, lower sessile, 2-sexual, 

 awuless ; upper pedicelled, male, with a dorsal twisted awn. Palea 2^ 

 nerved, 3-toothed. Scales oblique, acuminate. Stamens 3. Ovary 

 glabrous ; stigmas sessile feathery. Fruit laterally compressed, not 

 enclosed in the fl. glume. DISTRIB. Europe, temp. Asia, and N. and S. 

 Africa ; species 6. ETYM. Obscure. 



1. H. lanatus, L. ; softly tomentose, root fibrous, awn of the flower- 

 ing glume included curved, tip scabrou.s. 



Meadows, copses, waysides, &c. ; ascending to 1,800 ft. in Yorkshire ; fl. June- 

 Aug. Stems 6-24 in., ascending, slender, leafy. Leaves flat, soft, upper 

 sheaths inflated ; ligule short. Panicle 2-5 in., pale green or pinkish ; 

 branches 2-3-nate. Spikelets & in., elliptic-oblong; empty glumes acute, 

 nerves strong. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia ; introd. in N. America. 



2. H. mol'lis, L. ; villous at the nodes, root creeping, awn of fl. glume 

 inflexed exserted. 



Sandy and waste places, woods, &c. ; less common than H. lanatus ; ascending 

 to 1,500 ft. in the N. of England ; fl. June-Aug. Similar to H. lanatus, but 

 usually more slender ; glumes more scabrid and very acuminate. DISTRIB. 

 Europe except N. Kussia, N. Africa. 



23. TRIO'DIA, Br. 



Spikeletsfew, terete, in racemose panicles, 3-5-fld., upper flower imperfect. 

 Empty glumes exceeding the flowering, subequal, herbaceous, acute ; upper 

 3-nerved. Fl. glumes convex, 3-toothed, keeled, 7-nerved. Palea sub- 



