HOLCUS. HIEROCHLOA. 191 



Whence the name, from arren, masculine, and 

 atTier, awn, otherwise as in Avena, of which it is 

 only a peculiar modification. 



1. A. Avenaceum (Tall Meadow Oat Grass,) or 

 tall Oat Grass. See page 37. 



53. HOLCUS. Linn. MEADOW SOFT GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets crowded in an open panicle, 2-flowered, 

 jointed with the pedicils ; the boat-shaped membran- 

 acious glumes enclosing and much exceeding the 

 remotish flowers. Lower flower perfect ; its papery 

 or thin coriacious lower palet awnless and pointless ; 

 the upper flower staminate, otherwise similar, but 

 bearing a stout bent awn below the apex. Stamens 

 3, styles plumose to the base, grain free. 



An ancient name, from olkos, attractive, of obscure 

 application. 



1. H. Lanatus (Woolly Soft grass, or Meadow Soft 

 grass, Velvet grass). See page 62. 



2. H. Mollis (the Creeping Soft grass). See page 64. 



54. HIEROCHLOA Gamelin. HOLY GRASS. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Spikelets 3-flowered, open panicled, the flowers all 

 with 2 palets, the two lower (lateral) flowers stamin- 



