CL. III.] TRIANDBIA DIGYNIA. 79 



Nectary a cleft scale. Filaments three in both flowers; anthers 

 notched at both ends. Styles short, spreading ; stigma large, 

 feathery. Seed coated with the hardened permanent husks. Name 

 holcos of the Greeks. 41. 



1. H. avendceus. Oat-like Soft-grass. The perfect flower superior, 

 with a short awn, the imperfect flower with a long geniculate awn ; root 



knotted. Height from two to four feet, or more : the lower part of 



the straw has a number of very short joints, which are enlarged above, 

 forming yellowish juicy knots, resembling roots: leaves narrow lance- 

 shaped, thinly hairy above : panicle long, with half-whorled branches : 

 imperfect flower with a long awn, bent near the middle, inserted above 

 the base ; perfect flower with a short awn, inserted below the tip. 

 Perennial : flowers in July and August: grows by roads and old walls, 

 and in corn-fields, where it is difficult to be extirpated. In many districts 

 it is so abundant, that the farmers collect the roots into heaps and burn 

 them. Eng. Bot. vol. xii. pi. 813. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 109. 142. 



2. H. nxHlis. Creeping Soft-grass. Perfect flower inferior, awnless ; 



imperfect flower with a bent awn exceeding the calyx ; root creeping. 



Straw about three feet high : generally smooth, with the knots downy : 

 leaves narrow lance-shaped, acute, smoothish, or slightly downy, rough 

 at the margin : chaff-scales nearly equal, smoothish, hairy on the keel : 

 flowers shining, the upper hairy at the base. Perennial : flowers in 

 July : grows in moist pastures, and by old walls: common. Eng. Bot. 

 vol. xvii. pi. 1170. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 108. 143. 



3. H. landtiis. Meadow Soft-grass. Perfect flower inferior, awnless ; 

 imperfect flower with a curved awn included in the calyx ; root fibrous. 



Straw about two feet high : the whole plant, particularly the leaves, 



covered with a very soft short down : chaff-scales nearly equal, downy : 

 flowers shining, the upper with a tuft of hairs at the base. The principal 

 difference between this and the last is in the length of the awn. Peren- 

 nial : flowers in July: grows in meadows, pastures, and woods, and by 

 roads: abundant. Eng. Bot. vol. xvii. pi. 1169. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 108. 



144. 

 26. ME'LICA. MELIC. 



Calyx of two unequal, spreading, awnless chaff-scales, contain- 

 ing one or two perfect flowers, with the rudiments of one or two 

 other flowers. Corolla of two unequal, oblong, awnless husks; 

 the outer larger, concave, ribbed; the inner flat, with two marginal 

 ribs. Nectary cup-shaped, at the base of the germen. Filaments 

 hair-like; anthers protruded, pendulous. Germen roundish. Styles 

 distant, long; stigmas short. Seed egg-shaped, loose, covered 

 with the hardened husks. Name from mel, honey. 42. 



1. M. unifltira. Wood Melic-grass. Panicle branched, slightly droop- 

 ing towards one side ; flowers erect ; spikelet with only one perfect flower. 



Root creeping : straw about eighteen inches high, smooth, slender : 



leaves with the ribs and edges rough : panicle of a few hair-like branches : 

 flowers variegated with white, green, and brown. Perennial : flowers in 

 May and June : grows in woods : not uncommon. Eng. Bot. vol. xv. 

 pi. 1058. Eng. FL vol. i. p. 112. 145. 



2. M. nutans. Mountain Melic-grass. Panicle close, nearly simple, 



