CL. III.] TEIANDRIA DIGYNTA. 79 



less. Nectary a cleft scale. Filaments three in both flowers ; 

 anthers notched at both ends. Styles short, spreading ; stigma 

 large, feathery. Seed coated with the hardened permanent 

 husks. Name holcos of the Greeks. 41. 



1. H.avendceus. Oat-like Soft-grass. The perfect flower superior, 

 with, a short awn, the imperfect flower with a long geniculate awn ; 



root knotted. Height from two to four feet, or more : the lower 



part of the straw has a number of very short joints, which are en- 

 larged above, forming yellowish juicy knots, resembling roots : 

 leaves narrow lance- shaped, thinly hairy above : panicle long, with 

 half-whorled branches : imperfect flower with a long awn, bent 

 near the middle, inserted above the base ; perfect flower with a 

 short awn, inserted below the tip. Perennial : flowers in July and 

 August ; grows by roads and old walls, and in corn-fields, where 

 it is difficult to be extirpated. In many districts it is so abundant, 

 that the farmers collect the roots into heaps and burn them. Eng. 

 Bot. vol. xii. pi. 813. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 109. 142. 



2. H. mollis. Creeping Soft-grass. Perfect flower inferior, awn- 

 less ; imperfect flower with a bent awn exceeding the calyx ; root 



creeping. Straw about three feet high : generally smooth, with 



the knots downy: leaves narrow lance-shaped, acute, smoothish, 

 or slightly downy, rough at the margin : chaff-scales nearly equal, 

 smoothish, hairy on the keel : flowers shining, the upper hairy at the 

 base. Perennial : flowers in July: grows in moist pastures and by old 

 walls: common. Eng. Bot.\o\. xvii. pi. 11 70. Eng. JV.vol. i. p. 108. 



143. 



3. H. landtus. Meadow Soft-grass. Perfect flower inferior, awn- 

 less ; imperfect flower with a curved awn included in the calyx ; 

 root fibrous. Straw about two feet high : the whole plant, par- 

 ticularly the leaves, covered with a very soft short down : chaff- 

 scales nearly equal, downy: flowers shining, the upper with a tuft 

 of hairs at the base. The principal difference between this and the 

 last i's in the length of the awn. Perennial : flowers in July : grows 

 in meadows, pastures, and woods, and by roads : abundant. Eng. 

 Bot. vol. xvii. pi. 1169. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 108. 144. 



26. ME'LICA. MELIC. 



Calyx of two unequal, spreading, awnless chaff-scales, con- 

 taining one or two perfect flowers, with the rudiments of one or 

 two other flowers. Corolla of two unequal, oblong, awnless 

 husks ; the outer larger, concave, ribbed ; the inner flat, with 

 two marginal ribs. Nectary cup -shaped, at the base of the 

 germen. Filaments hair-like ; anthers protruded, pendulous. 

 Germen roundish. Styles distant, long ; stigmas short. Seed 

 egg-shaped, loose, covered with the hardened husks. Name 

 from mel, honey. 42. 



1. M. uniflbra. Wood Melic-grass. Panicle branched, slightly 

 drooping towards one side ; flowers erect ; spikelet with only one 



perfect flower. Root creeping : straw about eighteen inches high, 



smooth, slender : leaves with the ribs and edges rough : panicle of a 

 few hair-like branches : flowers variegated with white, green, and 

 brown. Perennial : flowers in May and June : grows in woods : not 

 uncommon. Eng. Bot. vol. xv. pi. 1058. Eng. Fl. vol. i. p. 112. 145. 



2. M. nutans. Mountain Melic-grass. Panicle close, nearly simple, 



