

HORTUS GRAM1NEUS WOBURNENSIS. 173 



Ibs. per Acre. 

 The Holcus avenaceus, var. muticus, or awnless 



variety, as above, affords of nutritive matter 

 from the produce of one acre, at the time of 

 flowering 669 1 



The produce of latter-math, ditto 53 \ 



The weight of nutritive matter in which the 

 produce of one acre of the awned variety of 

 the tall oat-like soft-grass exceeds that of the 

 awnless variety, is - 207 



The latter-math produce is very inconsiderable, and but little 

 nutritive. The nutritive matter contains a little more saccharine 

 matter, in proportion to the other ingredients, than what is con- 

 tained in the nutritive matter of the awned variety. Hares give a 

 decided preference to the awnless variety. If this grass had merits 

 which entitled it to a place among the superior grasses, it could 

 not be cultivated with advantage, on account of its deficiency of 

 seed, and impatience of being transplanted by parting the roots. 

 It can only be offered, therefore, as a botanical curiosity. 



It flowers a week later than the awned variety. 



BROMUS arvensis. Field Brome-grass. 



Bromus racemosus. Smooth Brome-grass. Sm. Engl. Fl. 



Specific character: Panicle almost upright, spreading, slightly 

 branched ; spikelets ovate-oblong, naked ; florets imbricated, 

 depressed, ribbed ; awns as long as the glumes ; leaves some- 

 what downy. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 154. Fig. 1. Lower part 

 of a Spikelet magnified, shewing the calyx, and a floret with 

 the awn on the larger valve of the corolla. 2. Nectary. 

 3. Germen and short-feathered stigmas. 



Obs. Culms from two to three feet in height ; more or less de- 

 clining at the base, afterwards erect, roundish, striated, smooth. 

 Panicle generally six inches in length, many-flowered; main 

 branch, or stem of the panicle, striated, smooth below, above 

 flexuose. Spikelets greenish on the upper side, and of a pur- 

 plish brown on the other. This species resembles, in some 

 measure, the Bromus mulliflorus of Hort. Gram. Wob. ; but 

 the spikelets being much more linear, and the brown or purple 

 tinge on the under side of the spikelets, readily distinguish 

 them. 



