POLYPOGON LITTORALIS. 47 



POLYPOGON LITTORALIS. 



SMITH. HOOKER. LINDLEY. BABINGTON. PARNELL. KUNTH. KOCH. 



PLATE XIV. B. 



Agrostts littoralis, J. E. SMITH. WITHERING. 



" KNAPP. DICKSON. 



The Perennial Beard- Grass. 

 Polypogon Many A beard (from the Greek). Littoralis Sea-shore. 



A VERY rare species, growing iu salt marshes. 



JL\. Found in Norfolk, near Cley; in Essex, on the coast; 

 Hampshire, near Porchester; and Kent, near the Woolwich powder- 

 magazine; and in Germany. 



Stem upright, circular, smooth, carrying seven or eight flat, roughish, 

 acute leaves, with striated yet smooth sheaths, the uppermost one 

 considerably longer than its leaf, and its ligule bold, acute, and about 

 twice as long as it is broad. Joints smooth. Inflorescence compound 

 panicled, the rachis and branches being rough with minute teeth. 

 Spikelets numerous, laterally compressed, small, and composed of two 

 equal-sized, linear, obtuse, hirsute glumes, and one floret of a little 

 above half the length of the glumes. Glumes destitute of lateral ribs, 

 dentate on the keel, and having a long rough awn of the same 

 length as the glumes, arising just beneath the apex. Floret consist- 

 ing of two paleaB, the exterior one destitute of lateral ribs, having a 

 slender awn commencing slightly beneath the apex. Inner palea 

 shorter, thin, pellucid, and having entire margins. Stamens two; styles 

 two; scales two. Stigmas feathery. Length from six to twelve inches. 

 Root perennial, and somewhat creeping. 



In Polypogon monspeliensis the awns of the glumes are above twice 

 the length of the glumes. 



