TIUGLOCHINACK^: PANIC ACEyE. G95 



ORDER CCLV.— TRIGLOCHINACE^ (JUNCAGINACE^. Lindl. 

 Nat. Syst, p. 367.) 



Marshy plants, by Lindl. referred to 4 genera. Of these Spreng. syst. enu- 

 merates 5 species for New Holhmd and Van Diemen's Land ; 5 for S. Ame- 

 rica ; 4 for Europe ; 3 for N. America ; and I for the Straits of Magellan. 

 In S. Africa have been discovered 3 species of Triglochin, 2 of which are 

 common to Europe, and in tiie Himalayas, Triylochin himalense, which, 

 according to Royle, is scarcely to be distinguished from T. palustre of Eu- 

 rope. " Properties unknown." {Lindl.) 



Triglochin palustre, L. ; E. B. 6, t. 366. o^ Europe. — T. Barrelieri, 

 Loisel. %. S. Europe. N. Africa. — T. striatum, Ruiz, and Pav. % In- 

 undated places of Peru. — T. procerum, R. Br. Tropical N. Holland. 

 — T. dubium, R. Br. Tropical N. Holland. — Scheuchzeria palustris,h. ; 

 E. B. 26, t. ISOl. % Swamps of England, Sic. — Lilaa subulata, Humb. 

 Sides of lakes in New Granada. 



ORDER CCLVI.— PANICACE^, (GRAMINACE.-E, Lindl Nat. 

 Syst. p. -669.) 



THE GRASS TRIBE. 



This order is exceedingly numerous, and likely to increase in a larger 

 ratio than the other phaenogamous plants, so that the future proportion of 

 grasses to the rest of Endogens will perhaps be as i to 20, or even perhaps as 

 1 to 16. Among the grasses there are both land and water-plants, but no 

 marine ones. They occur in every soil, in society with others or alone, the 

 latter in such abundance as entirely to occupy considerable districts. Sand 

 appears to be less favourable to them, but even this has species nearly peculiar 

 to itself. The diflTiision of the order has almost no other limits than those 

 of the whole vegetable kingdom. Species of it have been discovered on 

 Spitzbergen, on the mountains of S. Europe, nearly to the snow-line, and 

 on the Andes. The tropical grasses differ from the extra- tropical ones, 

 by their greater size, some (f. e.\. the bamboos) being 50-60 feet high ; by 

 their larger leaves ; by their frequently separate sexes, and lastly by their 

 softer, more downy and elegant flowers, The extra- tropical grasses on 

 the contrary, far surpass the tropical ones in the number of individuals. 

 That compact grassy turf, which, especially in the wilder parts of the tem- 

 perate zones, in spring and summer composes the green meadows and pas- 

 tures, is almost entirely wanting in the torrid zone. The grasses here do 

 not grow crowded together, but, like other plants, more dispersed. Even 



