WHEAT, COW. 



WHEAT-GRASS. 



dfa Jeeottnt of the total Quantities in England of each kind of Grain, Foreign and Colonial, with the 

 total Jbno**t of Duty paid upon each kind, and the average Rate thereof during the whole Period 

 frvm July, 1828, to Dectmixr, 1841. 



Statement of the Decennial Fluctuations in the 

 frift of Wheat in England, front 1646 to 1815; 

 from 1816 /o!828; and from 1829 to 1841; 

 exhibiting the highe$t and lowest annual Average 

 M taeh Decennial Period and the per-centage 

 Difference. 



\vm;\T. COW (Melampyrum, from melas, 

 black ; and pyrvt, wheat). A genus of branched, 

 spreading, annual, nearly smooth herbs, grow- 

 ing to the height of twelve or eighteen inches. 

 The seeds, which resemble grains of wheat in 

 shape and colour, turn black in drying. There 

 are, in England, four indigenous species of 

 cow-wheat, namely : - 



I. Crested cow-wheat (M. eristatum), which 

 grows in woods and thickets, and sometimes in 

 eom-fields, flowering in July. Flower rather 

 small, not quite closed, variegated with cream 

 colour and lijjht purple; the palate yellow. 

 The seed-vessel is a crescent-shaped capsule 

 containing two large seeds in each cell. 



Purple cow-wheat (M. arvense). This 



grows in corn-fields on a light soil, and 



in July. Stem 1$ foot high, purplish 



ly quadrangular; the branches more up- 



nght than in tb* foregoing. L-ares lanceolate, 



1190 



rough-edged. Spikes long, many-flowered. 

 Bractes loosely spreading, deeply pectinated or 

 pinnatifid, the upper ones entirely, and the 

 lower ones partially, coloured of a delicate 

 purplish rose colour. The flowers are large 

 and scentless. The seeds are two or three in 

 each capsule, but one is often abortive. This 

 is one of the most beautiful of English wild 

 plants. It will grow from fresh seeds in a dry 

 garden, and is well worthy of cultivation. 



3. Common yellow cow-wheat (M. pralense). 

 PI. 7, q. This is a very common species in 

 woods and bushy places, especially on clay or 

 loamy soil. It flowers in July and August. 

 Stem smooth, with several wide-spreading 

 branches. Leaves bright green, lanceolate. 

 Flowers axillary, solitary, opposite, turned in 

 pairs to one side. The capsules have a curved 

 point. Cows are reported to be fond of this 

 plant ; and Linnreus says the best and yellow- 

 est butter is made where it abounds. 



4. Wood cow-wheat (M. sylvaticum). This 

 species grows in alpine woods, especially in 

 forests of fir. It agrees with the last in gene- 

 ral habit, but is rather smaller, especially the 

 flowers, and the capsule is less pointed. 



Two or three species of cow- wheat are 

 found in the United States. 



WHEAT-GRASS (Triticwm). Of this ge- 

 nus, to which belongs our cultivated wheat, 

 there are five species indigenous to England. 



1. Sea rushy wheat-grass (T.junceum), whi'ch 

 is frequent on the sandy sea-coast, is a pe- 

 rennial, and flowers in July. The root, with 

 its widely creeping, numerous woolly fibres, 

 is well calculated for binding the loose sand, 

 which purpose it serves in common with Ely- 

 mus arenarius, jUrundo arcnaria, &c. The whole 

 plant is glaucous and rigid, like those grasses. 

 Stem 12 or 18 inches high, simple, inclining, 

 smooth, even and polished, tinged with a bright 

 violet hue below, striated above. Leaves in- 

 volute, sharp-pointed. 



2. Creeping wheat-grass, or couch-grass (T. 

 repens). PI. 10, i. This is a common pest 

 everywhere, in waste as well as cultivated 

 land. The long-jointed, creeping root-stock, or 



