HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 199 



ation of the figures and descriptions of these seeds (Nos. 5 and 

 No. 27,) given at pages 19 and 28 of this work, will assist in dis- 

 tinguishing the seed of the true cat's-tail grass, from that of the 

 inferior variety. This is much later in the produce of herbage in 

 the spring than the larger variety, and it is much less nutritive. 

 It is more common on tenacious soils than in such as are rich, 

 in company with the true meadow cat's-tail. It flowers and per- 

 fects its seed about a week later than the preceding variety. 



PHLEUM nodosum. Bulbous-jointed Cat's-tail Grass. 



Specific character : Spike cylindrical ; culm knee-bent, furnished 

 with bulbs at the lower joints, which send out branches. Sm. 

 Engl. Fl. i. p. 75, variety of Phleum pratense. Hort. Gram. 

 Wob. 87. 



Obs. There is still another variety of the Phleum pratense, 

 distinct from the preceding, and which may be mistaken for 

 the Phleum nodosum : that variety grows on poor clayey soils, 

 particularly by road-sides. It approaches to the present spe- 

 cies, in having the root somewhat bulbous ; the straw is like- 

 wise ascending, but not knee-bent, as in the Phleum nodosum : 

 these characters continue constant when the plant is culti- 

 vated on different soils, (i. e.) on light sandy soil, heath soil, 

 and tenacious clay. It is smaller in every respect than 

 the two varieties of which specimens have been given. The 

 P. nodosum differs from the P. pratense in having knee-bent 

 culms, bulbs growing out at the root of the stem-leaves, which 

 in time become plants. Culm leaves shorter and smooth, ex- 

 cept at the edges. Anthers white. The dagger-like points 

 of the husk are also longer, and more reflexed than in those 

 of the Phleum pratense. 



Native of Britain. Root bulbous. Perennial. 



Experiments. At the time of flowering, the produce from a 

 clayey loam is 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



Grass, 18 oz. The produce per acre 12251 4 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 38 ^ 



The produce of the space, ditto - 136 Of- $ 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 6431 14 8 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 22) 



The produce of the space, ditto 11 1 > 



