THE HILL GRASSES 



577 



tufting habit of 

 gi^owth. as if the 

 hle-force w ere 

 expanded in 

 adding density 

 of compacted 

 blades rather 

 than the hberal 

 expansion of in- 

 dividual ones. 



\ 



CRESTED HAIR GRASS. 



is a common heath grass, the spikelets 

 showing a reddish or purple colour, and 

 standing rather far apart in the notches 

 of the stem. The upper, and lowest 

 blades that fall at right angles across the 

 picture, distinctly show a twisting of the 

 blades upon themseh-es. To be dog- 

 matic on any such subtleties of growth in 

 plants would be rash, but I would venture 

 to suggest that this twisting may be 

 caused by the unequal play 

 of circumstances ; the varia- 

 tions of wind-rush, and con- 

 sequently of temperature, 

 upon the extending pur- 

 pose of the blade. In other 

 words, it is one more brand 

 mark of the plant's sur- 

 render to check, yet eventual 

 return to its original ex- 

 pression or purpose. 



/ 



y 



I 



\; 



MOUNTAIN CATS-TAIL. 



In both the two first 

 illustrations we find 

 good examples of this 

 principle of being, that 

 of the ]\Iat Grass {Nar- 

 dus strict a), and the 

 Sheep's Fescue {Festiica 

 ovina). The flowering 

 heads of the former 

 grass are. h o w ever, 

 shown at almost too 

 early a stage to be easily recognis- 

 able ; the glumes lying very flatty upon 

 the upper portion of the three stems. 

 The formation of the flower-scheme in 

 this species differs from that of those 

 previously treated, since there are no 

 empty glumes in the spikelets ; they are 

 absent, leaving only the true flowering 

 glume, which is shortly awned, bearing 

 the stamens and a one-styled carpel. It 



The por- 

 tion of the 

 rootstock, 

 showing at 

 the base of 

 the left-hand 

 fl o w e r i n g 

 stem, illus- 

 trates the 

 strong tuft- 



ALPINE MEADOW GRASS. 



