MELIC MOOE-GBASS. 319 



glumes, and a prominent awn to the lowest floret. The stamens 

 are long, and the anthers deep purple. It is a very useless 

 Grass, though so handsome. 



The Holy-grass (Hierochloe borealis), I have never seen, 

 except in the Botanical Gardens at Edinburgh. It is an 

 elegant grass, with pale green foliage, and scattered panicles 

 of florets, three to each spikelet. The centre flower is perfect, 

 and has two stamens ; those at either side are barren, and 

 have three stamens. It inhabits lofty glens in Scotland. 



The Melic-grasses are among the most elegant of the tribe, 

 but, as is often the case with the beautiful Grasses, they are of 

 no great service. They have one or two florets between the 

 glumes. 



The Wood Melic-grass (Melica uniflora), has the panicle 

 slightly branched; it is turned to one side, and somewhat 

 drooping. The barren florets are stalked, and the fertile are 

 seated; they are of a beautiful violet hue. The foliage is 

 broad, and of a delicate pale green. This Grass abounds in 

 woods everywhere. 



The Mountain Melic (M. niitans), is more scarce. I have 

 only found it in Mackershaw Woods, near Eipon. The flowers 

 are arranged in a drooping spike ; the paleae have no awns. 



The Purple Melic (M. coerulea), has narrower foliage than 

 the others, and it has a slightly glaucous hue. The florets are 

 violet-coloured, much smaller than those of its brethren, and 

 more numerous. It grows abundantly on damp ground on the 

 Yorkshire Moors. 



The Blue Moor-grass (Sesleria ccerulea), inhabits similar 

 places where the soil is chalky. It has two or three perfect 

 florets on each spikelet, and the whole are arranged in an oval 

 cluster or head. The glumes have a blue tinge, and the foliage 

 is narrow. 



We now come to the great Meadow-grass family, which is 

 characterised by having several flowers in each epikelet, no 

 awns, and the seed loose. This family is now divided into 



