BKQMUK.] GRAM1NEJE. 4;,l 



Sandy shores, Jersey ; fl. June-July. Root fibrous. Stems 6-10 in., terete, 

 pubescent. Leaves J J in. broad, bright green ; hairs on sheaths spreading 

 or reflexed ; ligule short, truncate. Panicle 4-7 in., at length nodding; 

 branches short, appressed, and rachis pubescent. Spikelets with the awns 

 2-3 in., pale green or purplish ; axis glabrous ; empty glumes hyaline, very 

 narrow, awned ; upper twice as long as the lowei*, almost equalling the 

 lowest fl. glume ; fl. glumes thin, narrow, scabfid, narrowed into the scabrid 

 awn ; nerves faint ; stamens 2-3. DISTRIB. France, Spain, Mediterranean. 



SECTION 2. Serrafal'cus, Parl. Annual or perennial. Lower empty 

 glumes 5-, upper 7-9-nerved. Fl. glumes close, convex, 5-7-nerved, 

 2-fid, awned in the sinus. Palea with pectinate-ciliate nerves. Styles 

 inserted below the top of the ovary. 



* Fl. glume longer than its palea. 



6. B. mol'lis, L.; pubescent or tomentose* panicle ovoid strict, lower 

 empty glume broadly ovate, fl. glumes 6-10 densely imbricate pubescent 

 opaque equalling the slender awn. 



Roadsides and waste places ; ascending to 1,800 ft. in the N. of England ; 

 fl. May-July. Glaucous green. Stems 4-24 in., terete. Leaves flat, -J^ in. 

 broad, soft, edges scabrid; sheaths terete, villous ; ligule short. Panicle 

 1-3 in., erect or nodding ; branches very short, subsimple. Spikelets -f in., 

 compressed, oblong, tips conic ; empty glumes broadly ovate, acute, 

 strongly nerved, upper much largest ; fl. glumes caducous, broadest and 

 obtusely angled above the middle, 2-fid, pubescent. DISTRIB. Europe, 

 N. Africa, W. Siberia ; introd. in N. America. A glabrous variety has been 

 called subglaber. 



7. B. racemo'sus, L. ; leaves and sheaths glabrate or hairy, panicle 

 narrow, lower empty glume lanceolate, fl. glumes 6-10 imbricate scabrid 

 shining equalling the slender awn. B. pratensis, Ehr. 



Fields and waste places, from Moray southwards ; ascending to 1,200 ft. in 

 the Highlands ; fl. June-July. Very similar to B. mollis, but subglabrous, 

 often 2-3 ft., rigid; leaves rigid, more ciliate ; branches of panicle 3-5-nate, 

 long and slender ; spikelets narrower, more acute, scabrid ; empty glumes 

 narrower, especially the lower ; fl. glume broadest above the middle, margin 

 obtusely angled. DISTRIB. Europe excl. Russia, N. Africa ; introd. in N. 

 America. 



VAR. commutatus, Schrad. (sp.) ; stouter, panicle more compound, spikelets 

 shorter, margins of caducous fl. glume less rounded at the broadest part. 



8. B. secali'nus, L. ; glabrate or sheaths hairy, panicle effuse hairy, 

 fl. glumes 5-8 not imbricate terete scabrid longer than their awns. 

 Corn-fields, from Isla and Ross southwards ; hardly established in Ireland ; a 



colonist, Watson; fl. June-July. Root of stout fibres. Stems 1-4 ft., 

 strict, rigid, smooth, rarely pubescent (B. velulinus, Schrad. and B. mul- 

 tiftorus, Sm.). Leaves -| in. broad, glabrous or slightly hairy, scabrid 

 above; sheaths grooved ; ligule short. Panicle 3-5 in., oblong; branches 

 3-5-nate and rachis flexuous, scabrid, subsimple. Spikelets f-$ in., com- 

 pressed ; empty glumes unequal, broadly oblong, seal rid, mucronate, 

 upper larger ; fl. glumes spreading, linear-oblong, 7-9-nerved, margins in- 

 curved, straight, hyaline, notched, at length coriaceous ; awn variable. 

 DISTIUB. Europe, N. Africa, W. Siberia ; introd. in N. America. 



