AGRICULTURE AND PLANTING. 45 



On Naiural Grasses. 



IV. Pqa Trivialis. Rough Stalked Meadow Grass^ 



PoA with diffuse panicle, three-flowered spikelets, lanceolate five-nerved 

 glumes connected at the base by a villus, and elongated stipule. 



Perennial, flowering from June to September. 



Root fibrose. Stems decumbent and rogting at the base, then upright, a foot 

 and half high, simple, round, striated, roughish, leafy, often purplish, LeaveSTa- 

 ther upright, flaccid, "'slightly acute, keeled, rough chiefly beneath and oa the 

 margins. Sheaths nearly the length of the leaves, subcompressed, striated, ratiier 

 rough. Stipule elongated, lanceolate, sharp, by which mark, according to Curtis, 

 this species is best distinguished from Poa Pratensis. Panicle elongated, upright, 

 very much branched, spreading, rough, with alternately decomposed ferarches 

 spreading horizontally at the time of flowering. Spikelets ovate, often thi-ee^flow-' 

 ered, purplish-green. Calycine glumes rough on the back, and of equal length: 

 the exterior lioear-lanceolate, acuminate; the interior dilated on the marg^p^fiSnd 

 three-nerved. Floscules rather obtuse, sharply fife-nerved, scariose at th^lip, 

 slightly silky on the edges and back; connected at the iase by numerous conir 

 plicated villi: interior valves thickened on the edges, which are green "and 

 scarcely pubescent. 



Variett. has t^he lower leaves involute-setaceous, but with sheaths or the 

 proper width; nor can it be referred to Poa Pratensis, on account of its sharp, hin- 

 ceolate stipule, as at a Fig. 2. 



This is a good grass, both for pasture, and hay; yet very inferior to the Poa 

 Pratensis, as it is coarser, and apt to go off after mowing. It is very productive, 

 and loves a moist and rather shady situation. 



V. Festuca Ovin'a. Sheep's Fescue Grass. ' 

 Calyx bivalve. Spikelet oblong, roundish, distichous, with §harp-pointed glumes. 



Fescue with one-sided straitened panicle, roundish flowers smooth at their 

 base, tetragonal stem, and rough setaceous leaves. 



