MEADOW-GBASS QUAKING-GBASS. 321 



with purple. Tlie roughness, or otherwise, of the stem and 

 leaves is a sufficient mark of distinction between them. 



The Annual Meadow-grass (P. annua), is the common weed 

 of our gardens, infesting the untrodden pavement as well as the 

 green lane, and flowering from March to November. 



The Alpine and Glaucous Meadow-grasses were sent to me 

 from Scotland. The former has a denser panicle than most of 

 its family, and the glaucous, broadish foliage of the latter dis- 

 tinguishes it. 



The Wood Meadow-grass (P. nemoralis), has a graceful 

 slender panicle, and only about three flowers in each spikelet. 

 JBoth spikelets and leaves are of a pale green. It grows in the 

 Easby woods. 



There are a Flat-stalked Meadow-grass, the distinctive mark 

 of which is expressed in its name ; and a Bulbous Meadow- 

 grass, with a zigzag panicle and four-flowered spikelets. This 

 grows on the seashore. 



The Heath-grass (Triodia decumbens), used to be counted 

 among the Poas, but its round palese and concave glumes are 

 marked enough to allow it a genus to itself. It is a rigid plant 

 growing in tufts, the stems often leaning towards the ground 

 at an acute angle. The panicle is very little branched ; there 

 are four florets in each spike. It grows in swampy places on 

 our moors in Yorkshire, and flowers in July. 



The Quaking-grass is a familiar object to people of all ages. 

 About Nantwich, in Cheshire, it used to be called " Quakers 

 and Shakers," as old Gerarde tells us. With us it is often 

 called " Trembling-grass." 



The common Quaking-grass (Briza media), is known to us all. 

 It has oval spikelets of seven flowers, and the glumes are 

 shorter than the florets. 



The Small Quaking-grass (B. minor), is a rare plant. My 

 specimen came from Devonshire. It has triangular spikelets, 

 with seven flowers in each ; the glumes are longer than the 

 florets. The panicle is dark green. 



T 



