CLASS III. ORDER II. J BRIZA. 123 



English Flora, vol. i. p. 131. Lindley, Synopsis, p. 311. Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 47. Sinclair, Hort. Gram. Woburn. p. 377. 

 Fes'tuca decum'bens, Linn. Po'a decum'bens, English Botany, t. 792, 



Root with strong fibres, sometimes slightly creeping. Stems mostly 

 numerous, from six to twelve inches high, bent in the lower part, erect 

 in the upper, tough, smooth. Leaves linear, acuminate, striated, scat- 

 tered, with rather long hairs, smooth except towards the point. Sheaths 

 close, smooth, striated, hairy. Ligula a tuft of rather long whitish 

 hairs. Inflorescence a nearly simple raceme, of from six to twelve 

 spikelets, their footstalks and the rachis rough. Glumes nearly equal, 

 lanceolate, acute, keeled and more or less distinctly ribbed, purplish, 

 the margins thin and pale, smooth except the keel. Florets about four. 

 Glumelles unequal : the external one ovate, smooth, shining, ribbed ; 

 the base with a tuft of short fine white hairs on each side, and fre- 

 quently the margins are fringed nearly their whole length ; the apex 

 with three teeth : the internal valve ovate, obtuse, with two strong, 

 green, ciliated, lateral ribs, from which the thin membranous margins 

 are inflexed. Seed ovate, flat. Stigmas feathery. 



Habitat. On heaths, poor sandy and mountainous districts ; not 

 uncommon. 



Perennial ; flowering in July. 



GENUS XXXVIII. BRI'ZA. LINN. Quaking-grass. 



GEN. CHAR. Panicle loose. Spikelets many-flowered. Glumes two, 

 equal. Glumelles two, unequal, awnless ; the outer convex, 

 swelled at the base ; the inner small and flat. Fruit closely in- 

 vested with the glumelles. Name from " /SptSw, to balance ; the 

 spikelets being most delicately suspended." 



1. B, me'dia, Linn. (Fig. 155.) common Quaking-grass. Spikelets 

 broadly ovate, of about seven florets; glumes shorter than the 

 florets ; ligula short, obtuse. 



English Botany, t. 340. English Flora, vol. i. p. 133. Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 315. Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 47. Sinclair, Hort. 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 205. 



Root fibrous, often woolly. Stems mostly numerous from the same 

 root, erect, from one to two feet high, slender, smooth, surrounded with 

 numerous leaves at the base. Leaves rather short, linear, acuminate, 

 roughish, especially towards the point. Sheaths close, smooth, striated. 

 Ligula short, obtuse. Inflorescence a wide-spreading, slender, rough- 

 ish, repeatedly branched panicle. Spikelets numerous, broadly ovate, 

 smooth, and shining. Glumes ovate, obtuse, very concave, slightly 

 compressed, three-ribbed, purple, with a pale, narrow, membranous 

 margin. Florets about seven. Glumelles unequal : the outer valrc 



