ffOLCUS MOLLIS. 86 



HOLCUS MOLLIS. 



LINN^US. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. SMITH. PARNELL. LINDLEY. 



KOCH. WlLLDENOW. CURTIS. KNAPP. SINCLAIR. 



SCHRADER. LEERS. HOST. SCHREBER. BABINGTON. HUDSON. ABBOT. 

 WITHERING. RELHAN. HULL. SIBTHORP. DICKSON. 



PLATE XXVI. 



The Creeping Soft Grass. 

 Holcus To extract. Mollis Soft. 



HOLCUS. LinncBus. Of the genus Holcus, or "Soft Grass," England can 

 boast of only -two species, both exceedingly interesting plants. The name 

 is derived from the Greek, and signifies to extract; the genus taking this 

 singular name because it was supposed to have the property of drawing out 

 thorns from the flesh. 



A GRASS of no agricultural value, as cattle refuse to eat it, whilst 

 -I-\- its long creeping roots speedily impoverish the soil. Its favourite 

 habitat is sandy, light, barren soil. 



Common in Britain, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, and Italy. 



Stem upright, circular, and smooth, bearing four or five flat, broad, 

 acute, soft, roughish, pale green leaves, with usually smooth sheaths, 

 upper sheath considerably longer than its leaf. Joints four, hairy. 

 Inflorescence compound-panicled. Panicle upright, and slightly pendu- 

 lous at the apex. Spikelets consisting of two florets, the upper one 

 awned. Calyx consisting of two equal-length glumes, membranous, 

 and keels hairy. Upper glume three-ribbed; lower one destitute of 

 lateral ribs. Florets of two palea9. From near the apex of the upper 

 floret arises a long awn, which is rough from the base to the apex. 

 Length from one to three feet. Root perennial and creeping. 



Dr. Parnell describes two varieties, one biaristatus, which has larger 



