CHAP. I. 



OAT GRASSES. 



911 



seeds are the seeds of annual meadow grass, of tufted hair grass (Aira 

 ctespitosa, L.), and of blue moor grass (Molinia cserulea, Moench.). 

 What the buyer has chiefly to guard against, however, is the risk of 

 accepting the " seed " of one species of Poa for that of another and 

 more expensive kind. 



Nat. size. 



Fig. 407. "Seed" of Poa 

 pratensis (Smooth-stalked 

 Meadow Grass). 



Front and side views, 

 magnified 15 diameters. 



Fig. 408. "Seed" of Poa 

 trivial is (Rough-stalked 

 Meadow Grass). 



Front and side views, 

 magnified. 15 diameters. 



OAT -GRASSES (Avena). These belong to the same genus as the 

 cereal oats, which some of the native species closely resemble in habit, 

 though they are usually inferior in size. The most important species 

 are : 



Avena flavescens, L. 

 Avena elatior, L. 

 Avena pubescens, L. 

 Avena pratensis, L. 

 Avena t'atua, L. 



Yellow oat grass. 

 Tall oat grass. 

 Downy oat grass. 

 Narrow-leaved oat grass. 

 Wild oat grass. 



Of these, the first two are of agricultural value, the remaining three 

 are weeds. 



YELLOW OAT GRASS, or golden oat grass (Avena flavescens), is one 

 of the most elegant of our native grasses (figs. 410, 411). Its leaves 

 are slender, flat, pale green, and covered with short hairs, which can 

 easily be seen by holding a specimen up to the light. The stem is 

 clothed with delicate hairs pointing downwards, which help in dis- 

 tinguishing the grass before it protrudes its ear. The panicle is 

 of a shining yellow colour, and glitters in the sun. Up to the time 

 of flowering the ear is very compact, and is beautifully shaded with 

 green and gold, whilst the delicate silky awns look like streaks of 

 silver. As the flowers develop, the entire panicle spreads out into 

 a tree-like form, and it is at this stage that Avena flavescens forms 

 one of the most elegant Midsummer objects in our meadows. When 

 the blooming time is over, and the seeds begin to ripen, the panicle 

 closes up again, its lovely colours disappear, and it becomes brown 



