22 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



with a short bent awn ; the body of the seed is egg- 

 shaped, and very smooth. The seed of the Phleum, or 

 cat's-tail grass, (No. 5.) is always naked, and being of 

 a round form, is sufficiently distinguished from the 

 above ; the forked termination of the husks of the 

 Phleum, likewise, affords an easy distinction between 

 their seed-vessels. The seed of the Alopeourm, or fox- 

 tail, (No. 7.) is distinguished from these, by its 

 covering, or husks being permanent, and terminating 

 in a straight awn. The agriculturist will find it his 

 interest to distinguish between these seeds. 

 Refer. 1. Naked seed, the natural size. 



1. The same magnified. In the naked state the seed of 



the Holcus lanatus, or Yorkshire white-grass, seldom 

 appears, as the soft woolly husks almost invariably 

 adhere to the body of the seed. 



2. A seed as it appears in practice, natural size. 

 2. The same magnified. 



Fig* 11. Aira cespitosa, turfy hair-grass, bulls '-faces, hassock- 

 grass. 



The seed is covered with the inner husks, which 

 adhere to it: it is egg-shaped. A tuft of woolly hairs 

 (refer. 2. fig. 11.) which proceeds from the base 

 of the seed-vessel, with a slender awn projecting a 

 little further, clearly distinguishes this seed from 

 those of the Hold or soft-grasses (fig. 10. and 29.). 

 This being the seed of a most unprofitable and per- 

 nicious weed, it is of the highest importance, as 

 regards the keeping of land clean from weeds, to 

 prevent the introduction of a single seed of this 

 grass. Although there are upwards of eleven spe- 

 cies of hair-grass, yet, excepting this species, there 

 are none of the genus of particular moment to the 

 agriculturist. 



Fig. 12. Melica c&rulea, purple melic-grass. 



The seed is covered by the inner husk until it be 

 perfected ; afterwards it encloses it loosely. The body 

 of the seed is oval-oblong, and a little incurved. 



Fig. 13. Poa compressa, flat-stalked meadow-grass. 



The seed is covered with the inner husks, without 



