GRASSES OF THE HAY-FIELD 



479 



commons, edging quarries, and crowding blades. The coloured anthers are variably 



in all sorts of odd places long after the a cinnamon purple or yellowish, hung upon 



hay-fields are bare and desolately green, the pale green spike ; and there is a dark 



These dry, seeded grasses are fre- purple flecking on the outer edges of 



quently the haunt of small butterflies in the glumes that adds quality to the general 



the last warm weeks of the year, and no colour effect. This grass frequently flowers 



more charming surround for the little again in autumn ; and one of its haunts 



common blue butterfly or the orange of may be the shelter of the hedges sur- 



the small copper can be found than a rounding the hay-fields. Here the long 



mass of dry Holms lanatus standing in slim spike may be seen rising up through 



afternoon sunshine. the sprays of dog-rose tangling among the 



In those days of burnt pastures and Hedge Wound Wort, Angelica, Fool's 



flower rehcs, the common Quake Grass Parsley, and many lesser plants. There 



{Briza media) is also to be found on the is something in its general appearance 



down-land and up-lying fields dried off that suggests the Sedges in character, 



towards extinction. But when established although it is clearly severed from that 



among the meadows it is early in the family by definite botanical distinctions, 



season, before outgrown by the taller In the central example of the group as 



species, that one comes upon it at its best, shown in the illustration, the tightly- 



The exceedingly fine stems and branch- rolled sheath shows the slit opening on 



lets, quivering at any breath of air or the side farthest from the expanded blade, 



lightest touch of insect, have been every Now this is the " hall-mark," or one of 



country child's plaything as naturally as them, of the grass tribe proper, since the 



the buttercups growing with the grass. Sedges hold the sheath closed, 

 so that everyone knows the look and I cannot leave the hay-field grasses 



name of this species, if none other. The without mentioning the Sweet Anthoxanth 



neatly packed glumes that form the little {Anthoxanthiim odoratum), for it gives the 



shaking heads are beautifully coloured in hay its sweetest scent — a slender and not 



alternate green and purple bands, and very conspicuous addition to the height 



contain six to eight flowers, although the of the crop, yet certainly not a grass we 



lowest pair are empty, and merely act as could dispense with. As a perennial plant, 



protecti\'e bracts to the whole group, blooming in spring, early summer, and 



When growing in down-land in short turf autumn, it shows a valuable persistency 



it becomes considerably dwarfed in height, of character that has no intention of 



and it rarely exceeds one foot in moister becoming extinct short of atmospheric 



conditions. The blades are few except at catastrophe. 



the base of the plant, and it can scarcely One other species calls for brief notice 



be said to extend the bulk of the hay as of much value in our town parks, 



crop, although something may be gained lawns, etc., and that is the Annual Poa 



in favour of the quality, since mixed {Poa annua). It flowers nearly the whole 



grasses are of advantage. The Quake of the year, and as an annual gets about 



Grass, although spreading over much the its business with celerity, for the whole 



same geographical area as those species transformation, from germination to the 



already mentioned, does not penetrate so seeding stage, is accomplished in a few 



far north. weeks. 



Another of the early summer grasses Where the edges of the turf have escaped 



is the Catstail [Phlenm pratense). In lush, shaving, or where fences give harl)our, 



moist ground it can run up as higli as one sees the green panicle expanding 



three feet, and produce a slim cylindrical itself in variable height from one-and-a- 



spike six inches long, with a minimum lialf to three inches. The meadow 



length of one inch. There is a certain representative, Poa prafensis, is more 



harshness in the feel of it, as the glumes imposing in appearance, the stem rising 



have rough edges and bristly awns pro- two feet and the panicle from two to 



jecting from them, this harsh character four inches, but tliis variety only flowers 



being carried out at the edges of tlie in early summer. 



Maud U. Clarke. 



