AVENA PRATEN8I8. 177 



AVENA PRATENSIS. 



LINNAEUS. HOOKER AND ARNOTT. SMITH. WILLDENOW. 



KNAPP. HUDSON. HULL. SINCLAIR. SCHRADER. 



HOST. LEERS. KOCH. WITHERING. RELHAN. SIBTHORP. RALFS 



KUNTH. ABBOT. LIGHTFOOT. MACREIGHT. BABINGTON. 



LINDLEY. DEAKIN. 



PLATE LX. A. 



Trisetum pratense, PARNELL. 



Avena alpina, SMITH. 



" planiculmis, SMITH. HOOKER. 



" bromoides, LINN^US. WILLDENOW. GOUAN. 



The Narrow-leaved Perennial Oat-Grass. 

 Avena Oat. Pratensis A meadow. 



A COMMON species, of scarcely any agricultural merit. 

 -jL Found in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, 

 Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, and Lapland. 



Stem upright, almost circular, smooth, and minutely striated, having 

 three or four linear-acute harsh leaves, with striated sheaths, upper 

 sheath twice the length of its leaf, rough, and having a lengthy, narrow, 

 membranous ligule; lower sheaths smooth, and shorter than their leaves. 

 Joints three, smooth. Inflorescence compound-racemed, or simple- 

 panicled. Panicle upright, lengthy, and compact. Rachis and branches 

 rough to the touch. Spikelets large, oval in form, of four or five 

 awned florets, and of the same length as the calyx. Calyx consisting 

 of two acute unequal glumes, three-ribbed, having rough keels, and 

 on the lower portion purplish. Floret of two palese, the basal exterior 

 one frequently bifid, five-ribbed, base hirsute. Inner palea shorter, 

 and having minutely fringed margins. Awns rough, and twisted at 



2 A 



