ALOPECURUS GENICULATUS. 17 



ALOPECURUS GENICULATUS. 



LINNAEUS. KOCH. SMITH. LEERS. HOOKER. PARNELL. LINDLEY. 

 GREVILLE. CURTIS. MARTYN. SCHRADER. SINCLAIR. EHRHART. 



PLATE vr. 

 Alopecurus paniceus, OEDER. 



The Floating Fox-tail Grass. 

 Alopecurus Fox-tail. Geniculatus Jointed. 



A COMMON Grass, rejected by cattle. Mostly found in moist 

 -L\- situations near pools, often floating in the water, yet occasionally 

 to be met with in dry places, where it is more dwarf in habit. When 

 cultivated as an agricultural Grass, the yield is very small. 



It is found in Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Lapland, 

 Italy, and in a few parts of the United States. It is not to be found 

 beyond the elevation of two thousand feet. 



Panicle upright, one to two inches long, cylindrical, compact, having 

 small branches all round the rachis. Spikelets numerous, ovate, upright, 

 one-awned floret of same length as calyx. Calyx consisting of two 

 equal-sized membranous glumes, blunt, joined at base; lateral ribs 

 hairy; apex purplish. Floret of one palea. Awn slender, extending 

 half its own length beyond the palea. Anthers linear, yellowish. 

 Styles short. Stigmas long and feathery. Stem ascending, joints 

 bent, striated, and polished, uppermost sheath inflated, and of same 

 length as its leaf. Sheaths smooth. Stem bearing branches from the 

 lower joints. Joints dark purple, smooth, long, and narrow. Leaves 

 flat, rough, edges serrated, acute. Inflorescence simple, panicled. 

 Length twelve to fifteen inches. Eoot fibrous, perennial. 



Flowers at the beginning of June, and ripens seed in the last week 

 in August. 



The awn in A. geniculatus commences slightly above the base, and 

 extends half its length beyond the palea, and the anthers are long; 



D 



