AVENA.] GRAMINE^. 485 



Cornfields, N. to Shetland, but not indigenous in Scotland ; Ireland ; Channel 

 Islands ; (a colonist, Wats.} ; fl. June-Aug. Stems 1-3 ft., stout, smooth ; 

 nodes hairy. Leaves flat, scaberulous ; sheaths smooth ; ligule short, torn. 

 Panicle 6-10 in., equally spreading ; branches whorled, scabrid. Spikelets 

 1 in., green. Fl. glumes 2-fid, with long fulvous hairs below, half as long as 

 the brown awn. DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, Siberia, N.W. India. 



A. STRIGO'SA, Schreb. ; spikelets 2-fld., empty glumes 7-9-nerved, fl. 

 glumes and pedicels glabrous, -.j 

 Cornfields, rare, not indigenous; fl. June-July. Smaller and more slender 



than A.fat'ua ; leaves sometimes hairy; panicle unilateral, branches fewer; 



fl. glume more deeply 2-fid, segments awned. DISTRIB. Of A.fat'ua. 



** Perennial. Spikelets suberect. Empty glumes 1-3-nerved. 



2. A. prat en's is, L. ; leaves glaucous glabrous, lower branches of 

 panicle 2-nate with 1-2 3-6-fld. spikelets. 



Moors and dry pastures, Boss and Skye to Devon and Kent ; ascends to 2,200 

 ft. in the Highlands ; Channel Islands ; fl. June- July. Root fibrous, stoloni- 

 ferous. Stems |-3 ft., erect, scaberulous, bent at the base. Leaves flat or 

 involute ; lower sheaths more or less scabrid ; ligule ovate, acute. Panicle 

 racemose, contracted after flowering. Spikelets f- in., pale, shining ; fl. 

 glume scabrid; pedicel silky; awn faintly bent, equalling the glume. 

 DISTRIB. From Norway sotithd. and eastd. to Thrace and S. Kussia (excl. 

 Spain). 



A. praten'sis proper; leaves involute, sheaths terete nearly smooth. VAR. A. 

 alpi'na, Smith (A. planicul'mis, Sm.,not Schrad.); leaves flat, lower sheaths 

 much compressed. Mountains. 



' 3. A. pubes'cens, Huds. ; leaves pubescent, lower branches of panicle 



5-nate with 2-4 2-fl'd. spikelets. 



Dry pastures, N". to Shetland; ascends to 1,600 ft. in N. England; Ireland; 

 fl. June-July. Habit of A. praterisis, but less densely tufted; leaves 

 flatter; sheaths very pubescent; awns more spreading. DISTRIB. From 

 Norway southd. and eastd. to Bosnia (excl. Spain), Siberia. 



26. ARRHENATH'ERUM, JBeauv. 



Perennial grasses. Spikelets panicled, terete, 2-fld. ; lower fl. male, upper 

 female or 2-sexual ; rachilla hairy between the fl. glumes, produced. 

 Empty glumes scarious, very unequal. Fl. glumes rigid, 5-7- nerved, 

 2-toothed, lower with a long basal bent and twisted awn, upper with a 

 short dorsal awn or 0. Palea 2-nerved. Scales lanceolate, toothed 

 laterally. Stamens 3. Styles short, distinct, stigmas feathery. Fruit 

 pubescent, loosely enclosed in the fl. glume and palea, pubescent. 

 DISTRIB. Europe, N. Africa, W. Asia; species 3. ETYM. apprjv, mascu- 

 line, and aOrjp, awn. 



A. avena'ceum, Seauv. ; panicle narrow long nodding, lower fl.gluma 

 long-awned, upper usually awnless. A. elatius, Presl. ; Avc'naela'tior, L. 



