288 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBUIINENSIS. 



bouring inhabitants, as a cheap and no despicable substitute for 

 hair brooms. In Anglesea it flourishes in the neighbourhood of 

 the copper works of Pary's mountain, while almost every other 

 vegetable, even lichens, are injured or destroyed.* In deep sands, 

 on the confines of peat-bogs, this grass is frequent ; also from sand 

 banks, under hedges enclosing heath soils, it is seldom absent. It 

 grows to the greatest height on deep peat soils that are not subject 

 to be overflown, but dry for the most part of the year. This grass 

 is useful to point out the fitness of such soils as that last mentioned 

 for the production of ash, alder, and willow trees, &c. ; and it will 

 be found, that on such parts of the peat as are destitute of this grass 

 they will not succeed so well, if at all. 



It flowers about the beginning and middle of August, and the 

 seed is ripe towards the middle and latter end of September. 



NARDUS stricta. Upright Matt-grass. 



Specific character: Spike slender, straight; the florets pointing 

 in one direction ; leaves thrice the length of their sheaths. 

 E. Bot. 290. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 70. 



Obs. Culm with a single joint near its base, and one bristle- 

 like leaf. Root-leaves long, thread-shaped. Florets all 

 pointing one way ; before flowering, pressed close to the spike- 

 stalk, which has small excavations to receive the florets, after- 

 wards spreading out. The culm is twice the length, at the time 

 the seed is ripe, of what it is at the time of flowering. Root 

 fixed firmly in the ground on account of its tenacious fibres, 

 which take a flexuose direction. On precipices, therefore, 

 its dense tufts of leaves, though dangerous to the footing, 

 afford to the hand of the Botanist or Naturalist the best secu- 

 rity from the danger of falling. " Gramen invisum naturae 

 alpestris scrutatoribus, quod vias lubricas reddat ; sed quod 

 densis cespitibus crescat, firmiterque terras inhaereat, saepe 

 etiam gratissimum in prsecipitiis, quod profundissime ad 

 radicem manu prehensum impediat lapsum." Schrank. in 

 Prim. Fl. Salisb. p. 37. 



German, Steifes-Borstengras. 



Native of Britain. Root fibrous. Perennial. 



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

 heath loam is 



* Withering's Arrangements. 



