GRASSES OF 



477 



tend itself into a hair-like or 

 point, termed the aw}i. In the Barley 

 and Bearded Wheat, we recognise the long 

 bristly awn. whilst the soft down of many 

 of the seeding grasses gives example of 

 the other type of growth. 



According to the temperature in the 

 early weeks of our springs, so the rising 

 and thickening of the grass varies^ in the 

 meadows, for cold nights and late frosts 

 can do much to delay the arrival of those 

 neatly rolled sheaths that enclose the 

 coming flower stem. It is always a 

 pleasurable sight when one sees the fields 

 changing in this way — the new order of 

 things rising from the winter-worn racHcal 

 blades. 



But by the end of May and the arrival 

 of June checks have been left behind. 

 the grass is dense, and one of the familiar 

 sights is the flower of the Meadow Fox- 

 tail {Alopeciinis pratensis). 



The beautiful golden-tan colour, or 

 delicate mauve of the clustered anthers 

 covering the spike, is as welcome as the 

 " Cuckoo flower " amongst the grass. I 

 have found that this colour-glow in the 

 Foxtail flower is curiously evanescent ; 

 within an hour or two after gathering the 

 stems it has faded to comparative dulness. 

 Some very palpable alteration that takes 

 place in the cellular formation mars the 

 reception of light. The spikes vary from 

 two to three inches in height, are rather 

 blunt-headed, and carried on stems one 

 to two feet high. The " keel " or midrib 

 of the glumes extends as a hair, giving 

 a soft character to the spike noticeable 

 before the anthers are expanded upon it. 



This species extends all over Europe 

 and Russian .Asia up to the Arctic regions, 

 and flowers both in spring and summer. 



The Clustered Cocksfoot (Dactylis 

 glomerata) does more, for it flowers the 

 whole season through. Right thrcmgh 

 the first snaps of frost in December I 

 have seen it expanding its pale anthers 

 in sheltered places in company with late 

 eftorts of the pink campion and other 

 survivors of the plant world. It is a 

 coarse, stiff grass of an average height 

 of one to two feet, and forms the toughest 

 section to the quahty of the hay. The 

 strong tufts often show a darker l)lue- 

 green in contrast to the sun'ounding 

 grass, whilst the blades, though phant, are 



61 



THE HAY-FIELD 

 I 



bristly distinctly rough at the edges. In actual 

 f(jrm the flowermg head is rather variable ; 

 the illustration shows that of a spread- 



mg panicle, the general plan of which has 



^gi«(b. 



^ 



^ 



QUAKE GRASS. 



given the name of Cocksfoot from the 

 relative position of its divisions in respect 

 of the stem as axis. 



The spikelets are packed densely to- 

 gether, making an o\'al mass at the end of 



