BROMUS ERECTUS. 157 



BROMUS ERECTUS. 



HUDSON. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. SMITH. PARNELL. 

 KOCH. LlNDLEY. DlCKSON. KNAPP. SINCLAIR. SCHRADER. OfiDER. 

 KUNTH. BABINGTON. MACREIGHT. DEAKIN. 



PLATE LI. 



Bromus agrestis, ALLIONI. HOST. 



" perennis, VILLARS. 



The Upright Oat- Grass. 

 Bromus Food. Erectus Upright. 



BROMUS. Linnaeus. The Brome-Grass, of which there are a dozen British 

 species, has a lax panicle, with many-flowered laterally-compressed spikelets. 

 The name is derived from the Greek, signifying food; hence the present 

 word, which the Greeks used for one of the Oat-Grasses. 



A LARGE-GROWING species, of but little agricultural value. 

 JLJL In England found in Somerset, Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Norfolk, 

 Cambridge, Oxford, Worcester, and Yorkshire. In the Island of Angle- 

 sea, and occasionally in Ireland and Scotland. 



Found in Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, and Italy. 



Stem circular and smooth, habit erect; bearing four or five linear, 

 harsh, hairy, nearly erect leaves, with hairy sheaths, the upper one 

 having at its apex a brief ragged ligule. Joints five. Inflorescence 

 simple-panicled or racemed. Raceme upright and compact. Spikelets 

 upright, consisting of eight or nine awned florets, tinged with brownish 

 purple. Calyx of two equal-sized acute glumes; upper one three-ribbed, 

 basal one destitute of lateral ribs. Florets of two paleae, exterior one 

 of basal floret a third longer than the small glume of the calyx; sum- 

 mit bifid and membranous; seven-ribbed; dorsal rib minutely dentate, 



