PHALARIS ARUNDINACEA. 21 



PHALARIS ARUNDINACEA. 



LINN^US. SMITH. HOOKER. KOCH. GREVILLE. PARNELL. HUDSON. 

 PURTON. SCHRADER. OfiDER. LEERS. EHRHART. 



PLATE VII. B. 



Arundo colorata, SOLAND. DRYANDER. SMITH. 



" KNAPP. WILLDENOW. HALLER. 



Phalaris arenaria, SMITH. SOWERBY. HUDSON. 



" phleoides, var. AITON. 



Phleum arenarium, LINN.EUS. WITHERING. 



The Reed Canary Grass. 

 Phalaris Shining (from the Greek). Arundinacea A reed. 



A HANDSOME and abundant coarse-growing species on the banks 

 -j- of rivers and sides of lakes, preferring a strong clayey soil. 

 Cattle are not partial to it, yet it produces a large and early crop, and 

 may be cut three times a year. A variety cultivated in our gardens 

 is exceedingly handsome; it is best known as the "Ribbon Grass/' 

 or "Painted Lady Grass. " The leaves are beautifully striped with 

 green and white, varying considerably in the width of the different 

 bands of colour. 



Common in Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, and in the South 

 of Europe, but unknown in America, Lapland, Sweden, or Norway. 



Panicle upright, long, and narrow; rachis and branches rough. 

 Spikelets crowded, numerous, of one awnless floret hid within the calyx. 

 Spikelets occasionally tinged with purple, white, yellow, and green. 

 Calyx two nearly equal, acute glumes; keels toothed, sides rough; 

 calyx three-ribbed. Floret of two paleae, the outer one acute, rough; 

 edges hairy, longer than inner palea. Stem upright, circular, smooth, 

 having five or six leaves with sheaths that are smooth and striated; 

 upper sheath considerably longer than its leaf, having a lengthy de- 



