90 ABRHEXATHERVM AVEXACEUM. 



Stew upright, circular, and polished, bearing four or five flat, rough, 

 narrow, acute leaves, with striated smoothish sheaths, the upper one 

 longer than its leaf, and having at its apex a small ragged ligule. 

 Joints smooth, and sometimes hirsute. Inflorescence simple panicled. 

 Panicle inclining to one side, branches short and rough, the lower 

 ones mostly in fives. Calyx consisting of a pair of very unequal acute 

 membranous glumes. The florets consisting of two palea?. The lower 

 floret has a long awn rising from slightly above the base of the outer 

 palea, the second floret has a very short awn commencing beneath 

 the apex. Length from two to three feet and a half. Root perennial, 

 fibrous, and sometimes bulbous. 



There is a variety known as bulbosum, which grows in rich cultivated 

 fields, having bulbous roots. 



Flowers in the third week in June, and becomes ripe in about five 

 weeks. 



The present species, which is readily known from all other Grasses, 

 is a common plant in Nottinghamshire, growing occasionally to the 

 height of three feet and a half, especially in low meadows on the 

 banks of hedges. 



There is only another species known of this family, namely, the 

 A. pollens, a Portuguese plant. 



The specimen for illustration was forwarded by Mr. Joseph Sidebotham, 

 of Manchester. 



