CH. vn] Botanical Description of Species 85 



the plant are rather long and tend to point upwards. On the 

 Continent it is considered worth sowing on poor chalk soils. 



Flowers about midsummer; culms from 2 to 3 feet high; 

 panicle erect and rather close. Spikelets erect, 4-8 flowered, 

 lanceolate in outline, of a brownish-purple hue. Empty glumes 

 narrow-lanceolate, with serrated keels. 



"Seeds" Outer palea from 9-12 mm. long, scabrid or hairy, 

 with membranous margins above ; the central nerve (keel) is con- 

 spicuous from the base to the top, and prolonged into a straight, 

 stiff, terminal awn, shorter than the palea. From 4-6 lateral 

 nerves usually appear at the top of the outer palea. Inner 

 palea acutely pointed. Eachilla long, cylindrical and pubescent. 

 (Kg. 75.) 



Bromus asper, Murr. (Wood Brome-grass.) (Fig. 77.) 



A. tufted annual, or biennial, growing in shade. Shoot round ; 

 sheaths entire and covered with long, scattered, reflexed hairs. 

 Blade long and drooping, tapering at both apex and base ; hairy, 

 keeled below, almost ribless above. Small auricles present ; ligule 

 short and toothed. Frequent in Britain. 



Flowers in June or July ; flowering culms from 3-5 feet high ; 

 panicle large, open, and drooping. Spikelets about an inch long, 

 linear-lanceolate, usually with from six to ten flowers. Glumes 

 very unequal, acute, the upper and larger one three-nerved, 

 and its keel finely serrated. 



"Seeds." Outer palea 10-14 mm. long, rough with short, 

 white bristly hairs; three nerves conspicuous especially above, 

 the central one prolonged into a straight rough sub-terminal 

 awn about half the length of the palea. Inner palea with distinct 

 marginal nerves fringed with fine hairs. Rachilla long, cylindrical 

 or somewhat flattened, outstanding, hairy, or sometimes nearly 

 smooth. (Fig. 78.) 



Bromus giganteus, L. (Tall Brome-grass.) = Festuca gigantea, 

 Vill. (Giant Fescue-grass.) (Fig. 79.) 



An erect glabrous perennial growing in shade. Shoots round, 

 sheaths split. Leaves broad, acute, flat and almost ribless above , 

 keeled below. Ligule short, reddish- violet ; auricles greenish- 

 white. Generally distributed over Britain. 



Flowers about July; culms from 3-4 feet high, with striated 



