Spartina.l TRTAXDRIA — DIGYNIA. 19 



flowered, ternate; central floret perfect, lateral ones mostly im- 

 perfect (having often at the back of the inner valve a bristle or 

 abortive floret.) Outer valve of cor. awned. i^rwi^ incorporated 

 ■with the cor. — Name of dubious origin. 



45. Tri'ticum. (Tab. II. f. 34.) Cal. 2-valved, many- 

 flowered; its valves opposite, transverse, the sides (not the 

 back of one of them) directed to the rachis, nearly equal. Cor. 

 2-valved, valves lanceolate : ext. one acuminate or awned at the 

 extremity; iiit. bifid at the point. — There are two natural 

 groupes in this genus : 1st, the large annual species, foreign to 

 our country, which are cultivated so extensively as Bread-corn ; 

 and, 2dly, the smaller perennial species, many of which are 

 natives with us. These some authors look upon as 2 distinct 

 genera ; Triticum and Agropyrum, {Beaiiv., Lindl.) We have 

 only the latter genus or groupe in Britain. — Name, Triticum, 

 " quod tritum est e spicis :" because it is thrashed or beatea 

 from the spikes. 



46. Brachypodium. (Tab. II. f. 35.) Spikelefs alternate, 

 remote, cylindrical-compressed, Cal. 2-valved, many-flowered ; 

 vcdves opposite, transverse, unequal. Cor. 2-valved : valves 

 lanceolate : ext. one generally awned at the extremity ; int. 

 retuse. — Named from !3^a^v;, short, and --rove, a foot ; from the 

 sessile or nearly sessile spikelets. — These sessile spikelets and 

 the terminal awn distinguish this genus from Bromus, where the 

 British plants of this genus had been placed. There are many 

 continental species, which preserve the same habit ; and the indi- 

 viduals naturally come near to the British species of Triticum. 

 Beauvois, perhaps with justice, refers Trit. loliacevin to it. 



47. LoLiunr. (Tab. II. f. 36.) Cal. of one valve, solitary, 

 many-flowered. Cor. of two valves ; ext. awnless, or with au 

 awn below the extremity. — Name, " quasi dolium, ho^-iav, quod 

 dolosum sit vel adulterinum. Fit enim e corruptis Tritici ac 

 Hordei seminibus." The ancients as Avell as the moderns, at- 

 tributed poisonous qualities to the L. tenndenlum ; and even 

 now it is believed in some countries, that the Wheat changes 

 into Darnel. 



48. KoTTBoLLiA. (Tab. II. f. 37.) Ca/.of 2 valves ; valves 

 unilateral, sometimes combined into one, 1 — 2-flowered. Cor. 

 2-valved, awnless, imbedded, as it were, in a thick rachis. — 

 Named from RotthiJll, a professor of Botany at Copenhagen. 



49. Knappia. (Tab. II. f. 38.) Cal. single-flowered, of 2 

 truncated, nearly equal valves. Cor. of 2 unequal, hairy valveSy 

 obtuse. — Named in honour of Mr. Knapp, an English Botanist, 

 author of a work on British grasses. 



f-j- Flowers in unilateral sjnkes. (Tab. II. f. 42. ^.) 



50. Spartina. (Tab. II. p. 39.) Sinke compound. Spihe- 



