212 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBU RNENSIS. 



spikelets towards the top : spikelets consisting of from seven 

 to nine florets, of a green or purplish colour; the culm is 

 never upright but ascending, and almost covered with the 

 sheaths of the leaves, which are numerous. The third variety 

 (ramosum) is more common in rich meadow land than in any 

 other soil; the spike is nearly upright, spikelets shorter, 

 glumes more pointed, and the stem furnished with long 

 leaves; the root-leaves are numerous, and larger in every 

 respect than in any of the preceding. I believe this to be 

 the improved or Pacey's rye-grass : it is the most valuable of 

 the varieties of rye-grass above mentioned. The panicled 

 rye-grass exhibits a very singular though accidental deviation 

 from the proper character of the species that of flowers 

 disposed in a spike. I found this variety not uncommon in 

 the lower parts of Mr. Westcar's celebrated pastures of cres- 

 lew. The double-flowering rye-grass, I found in a meadow 

 near St. Ives, and it was raised in the experimental grass- 

 garden at Woburn Abbey, from seeds communicated by 

 Mr. Neill of Mansfield. It has the spikelets globular, which 

 give to the spike the appearance of being composed of 

 double flowers. The viviparous variety grows luxuriantly 

 after midsummer ; it is strictly viviparous, never producing 

 flowers or seed, but young plants from the glumes or ears. 

 When supported, the culms from the ears emit plants which 

 " frequently attain to two and three inches in length. A spe- 

 cimen of the stoloniferous rye-grass was communicated by 

 Mr. Whitworth, from his extensive collection at Acre House. 

 Of late years much has been done in discovering new and 

 improved varieties of Lolium perenne. Mr. Whitworth has 

 devoted much attention to this subject; and the talents, 

 judgment, and success he has displayed in this important 

 inquiry, deserve very great praise. His collection of the 

 varieties of Lolium perenne, in 1823 amounted to the sur- 

 prising number of sixty ; but, as many of these had been 

 merely transplanted into his experimental ground, and not 

 submitted to the test of reproduction by seed, their per- 

 manency, or their characters as to being permanent or 

 only accidental varieties, had not been determined. The 

 labours of this gentleman have been rewarded by the dis- 

 covery of that valuable variety which bears his name ; and 

 further important results may be expected from his talents 



