ORCHARD-GRASS, OAT-GRASS, BROME-GRASSES 189 



TALL OAT-GRASS 



198. Names. -Tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) 

 is known also as tall meadow oat-grass, tall oat-grass, 

 false oat-grass, French 



rye-grass and, in the 

 South, evergreen grass. 

 The French name, fro- 

 mental, has become 

 much used in Germany 

 and Switzerland, and is 

 advocated by Stebler 

 as a convenient and 

 distinctive name for 

 general adoption. 

 Synonyms of the sci- 

 entific name are Ar- 

 rhenatherum avenaceum 

 and Avena elatior. 



199. Botany. Tall 

 oat-grass is native to 

 southern Europe and 

 northern Africa, but 

 ranges eastward into 

 Persia. It is quite 

 variable, eight varie- 

 ties being considered 

 distinguishable by Eu- 

 ropean botanists. 



The most noteworthy variety is tuberosa which bears 

 a number of bulbs at base like a string of small onions and 

 is therefore called Onion Couch. This is sparingly intro- 

 duced in the United States. In Europe it occurs mainly 



FIG. 19. Tall oat-grass (Arrhena- 

 therum elatius). a, spikelet; b, the two 

 florets. 



