PHLEUM ASPERUM. 29 



PHLEUM ASPERUM. 



JACQUIN. KOCH. SMITH. HOOKER. BABINGTON. LINDLEY. 

 SCHRADER. PARNELL. VILLARS. 



PLATE IX. B. 



Phleum paniculatum, HUDSON. SMITH. KNAPP. AITON. 



" viride, ALLIONI. 



Phalaris aspera, RETZIUS. WILLDENOW. HOST. 



" paniculata, AITON. SIBTHORP. 



The Rough Cat* s- tail Grass. 

 Phleum Reed Mace. Asperum Rough. 



A RARE useless agricultural Grass, limited to the western portion 

 -L\- of Great Britain, being confined to the counties of Gloucester, 

 Bedford, Oxford, Cambridge, and Norfolk, chiefly in the two last- 

 mentioned counties. Mr. Hudson procured it near Bristol, and on the 

 heath at Newmarket; Mr. Crowe near Bournbridge. It has also been 

 seen in Badminton Park. In Ireland it has been found near Belfast. 



It is a native of Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Prussia, and 

 France. 



Phleum asperum grows in arid sandy situations. 



Root perennial, consisting of a number of strong fibres. Stem cir- 

 cular, upright, exceedingly smooth, carrying four or five flat, rough, 

 acute leaves, with rough tumid sheaths, the upper one extending beyond 

 its leaf. Ligule bold and pointed. Joints four in number, covered by 

 the sheaths. Inflorescence close, panicled, and from two to five inches 

 in length. Spikelets abundant, compact, composed of two equal length, 

 rough, cuneate glumes, and one floret. The glumes variegated with 

 green and white, the inner edge obtuse at the apex, straight and mem- 

 branous. The floret consisting of two paleae, the exterior one rough, 

 indistinctly five-ribbed, the centre rib being hirsute on the upper 



