190 ARRENATHERUM AVENACEUM. 



hassocks are generally the most predominant on the 

 best of soils. The most effectual manner of accom- 

 plishing this is to root them fairly out with a large 

 hoe, afterwards stirring the soil and scattering in a 

 few seeds of any of the strong or superior fast grow- 

 ing grasses, such as the orchard grass, or agrostis, 

 stolonfera, &c, 



3. Aira Praecox. Sandfields New Jersey to Vir- 

 ginia, rare. Naturalized from Europe. 



4. A. Caryophyllea. Dry fields, Nantucket ; also 

 New Castle, Delaware. 



5. A. Atropurpurea. (Purple Alpine Hair Grass.) 

 Alpine tops of the White Mountains, and those of 

 Northern New York. 



6. A. Aquatica. (Water Hair Grass.) This is an 

 aquatic grass but can be cultivated on marshy 

 grounds. It is one of the sweetest of British grasses, 

 and cattle are very partial to it. Water fowl feed on 

 the seeds of this grass. 



52. AKRHENATHEKUM AVENACEUM. Beauv. 



OAT GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets open panicled, 2-flowered with the rudi- 

 ments of a third flower ; the middle flower perfect* 

 its lower palet barely bristle-pointed from near the 

 tip ; the lowest flower staminate, only bearing a long 

 bent awn below the middle of the back. 



