DARNEL. ' ^55 



nut, about tliree feet in height, and clothed at the joints with 

 long, flat, acuminate leaves which are rough on the upper sur- 

 face, and of a pale green colour ; the ligula is short, obtuse, 

 and slightly notched at the end. The inflorescence is an erect 

 spike, from four to six inches long, with numerous sessile spike- 

 lets arranged alternately in two rows along the common axis or 

 rachis, which is flexuous, rough, and channelled ; each spikelet 

 or locusta contains about seven flowers. The glume * is lan- 

 ceolate and solitary, situated at the base of the spikelets, and 

 rather exceeding them in length. The paleae + consist of two 

 unequal valves, the exterior of which is acute, membranous at 

 the edge, cleft at the point, and keeled, sending forth a long, 

 rigid awn below the extremity ; within these a minute elliptical 

 scale ;|; is occasionally found. The three stamens have capillary 

 filaments shorter than the paleae, and oblong versatile anthers, 

 notched at each extremity. The germen is turbinate, sur- 

 mounted by two very short styles, terminated by feathery stig- 

 mas. The pericarp § is membranous, elliptical, compressed, 

 convex on one side, attached to the inner valve of the paleae, and 

 scarcely distinguishable from the seed. Plate 15, fig. 4, (a) 

 glume ; (b) paleas and stamens ; (c) germen and styles. 



This species of Darnel is a common weed in many parts of 

 England, growing in fields among wheat ||, barley and flax. It 

 flowers in July. 



• " He was met ev'n now 



Crowued with rank fumiter and furrow weeds, 

 Darnel, and all the idle weeds that grow 

 In our sustaining corn." 



Shakspeare. 

 The term Lolium has been thought by some to be derived 

 from Aajov oXsiv, to ruin the corn, by others from hXrjg, counter- 

 feit, in conformity with an opinion entertained by the ancients, 

 and not yet exploded in every country that the plant is merely 

 wheat, or some other grain in a degenerate state. This doctrine 

 of the transmigration of vegetables was carried to an extrava- 

 gant height ; it was believed that circumstances being unfavour- 

 * Calyx of Linnaeus, 

 f Corolla of Linnaeus. 

 X Nectary of Linnaeus. 

 § " Caryopsis " of some authors. 

 II See Virgil, Georgic i. 1. 154, and Ovid Met. lib. v. 1. 485. 



