CHAPTER III 



THE VEGETATION OF MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



MEADOWS and pastures have much in common as far as their 

 vegetation is concerned, and are of special interest from the fact 

 that, more than any other natural area, they show the effect of 

 man's influence. For this reason the Plant Associations found 

 in them are artificial, not natural. In a good meadow, or pasture, 

 the ground is covered with a compact growth of Grasses, forming 

 so thick a carpet that the colour of the soil is often entirely con- 

 cealed. Such a grass carpet consists of the densely interwoven 

 rootlets and rhizomes forming a sod, and is rich in humus from 

 the accumulation of years. In temperate climates, such as our 

 own, the meadow is characterised by its fresh green tint, which 

 is preserved even in winter, for the grasses are practically ever- 

 green in their habit, young green leaves being ready to take the 

 place of the yellow old ones almost immediately. 



GRASSES DOMINANT. Grasses may be distinguished from all 

 other plants by having their leaves arranged in two rows alternately 

 up the stem ; and by the circular outline of the cut stem. The 

 leaves have no leaf-stalk, but a blade and a sheath, which is 

 nearly always split. In many Grasses there is an outgrowth 

 from the blade where it joins the sheath ; this is the ligule, which 

 prevents the water that falls on the leaf running down the sheath 

 and rotting the stem. Grasses have fibrous roots, and many of 

 them long creeping underground stems, which break up stiff soils. 

 The end of May, or the beginning of June, is the best time for 

 observing their inflorescence, and the Oat is one of the easiest with 

 which to begin, on account of the large spikelets. Each spikelet 

 consists of scales, known popularly as " chaff/ 1 and of three 

 flowers. Some grasses have only one or two flowers in each 

 spikelet. When dissected out, the following structures are 

 seen (Fig. 20). 



