82 PHLEUM. 



[CL 



ASS III. ORDER II. 



Rofit fibrous, often with creeping undergroiind stems, and putting up 

 several erect, smooth, and leaiy Jlowering stems, from three to four feet 

 high. Leaves broad, flat, lanceolate, with one prominent rib and nu- 

 merous small ones, the lower leaves rough on both sides and the edges, 

 the upper ones less so, and quite smooth on the upper surface. Ligula 

 oblong, blunt, frequently torn. Inflorescence an elegantwide-spreading 

 panicle ; its hair-like branches, which are roughish in the upper part, 

 arise in half whorls, mostly on alternate sides, iheir base having a 

 swollen articulation with the stem. Flowers single. Glumes thin, 

 membranous, mostly three-ribbed, pale green, roughish. GhimcUes 

 smaller, very smooth and shining, concave, cartilaginous, persistent, 

 and embracing the seed. Styles short. Stigmas feathery. 



Habitat. — Frequent in moist woods and shady situations. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



The panicles of this graceful and pretty grass are sometimes found 

 near a foot long, and eight inches wide ; the seeds are a favourite food 

 of numerous birds, and the abundance which it produces, together 

 with its naturally preferring to grow in the cool and shade of trees, 

 sufiiciently recommend it as a grass of great utility in game preserves ; 

 and its elegance and soft green colour would form an ornament of no 

 inconsiderable beauty in the shade of plantations and pleasure gi"ounds 

 where but few other plants will grow. 



GENUS XX. PHLE'UM. Linn. Cath-tail-grass. 



Gen. Char. Patiicle spiked, compact. Glumes nearly equal, acumi- 

 nate, or the keel terminating in an awn. Glumelles two, smaller, 

 awnless, membranous. Seed oblong, loose. — Name from " <P?^to;, 

 or (fXc-wf, formerly applied, as is supposed, to the Reed-mace (Ty- 

 phaj, to which our grass bears some distant resemblance. 

 1, P. praten'se, Linn. (Fig. 102.) common Cat's-tail-grass, Timothy- 

 grass. Panicle spiked, cylindrical ; glumes abrupt, longer than 

 its rough awn ; keel ciliated at the back. 

 English Botany, t. 1076.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 76.— Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 300.— Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 34. — Sinclair, Hort. 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 195. 



/5. nodo'sum, whole plant smaller, stem tuberous at the base. — 

 Phle'um nodo'sum., Linn. Sinclair, Hort. Gram. Woburn. p. 199. 



Root fibrous, sometimes sending out creeping underground stems. 

 Stem erect, froin one to four feet high, round, smooth, striated, leafy 

 below, frequently bent at the lower joints, generally several from the 

 same root. Leaves linear-lanceolate, flat, striated, rough, with fine points, 

 especially on the under side. Sheaths long, striated, smooth, close. 

 Ligula obtuse, torn. Inflorescence spiked, cyliudrical, obtuse, varying 



