132 BROMUS. [class ui. order ir. 



Root of many strong, more or less downy fibres. Stem erect, sim- 

 ple, round, smooth, striated, and leafy, from three to four feet high. 

 Leaves broad, linear-lanceolate, nearly erect, ribbed, rough on the upper 

 side and margins, pale and smooth beneath. Sheaths long, close, 

 smooth, striated. Ligiila very short, mostly torn, with a projecting 

 portion on each side, which clasps the stem. Infiorescence a large, 

 compound, spreading panicle, its branches angular and rough, droop- 

 ing on one side. Spikelets ovate-lanceolate, compressed, from three to 

 six-flowered. Ghnnes very unequal : the outer small, frequently awl- 

 shaped, keeled ; the inner lanceolate, acute, the keel and two lateral 

 ribs rough. Glumelles nearly equal: the outer lanceolate, smooth, 

 membranous, and obscurely ribbed towards the extremity, the apex 

 bifid, aivn long, inserted below the point; inner valve membranous, 

 with two lateral downy ribs, the apex bifid. Stigmas feathery. Fruit 

 oblong. 



Habitat. — Moist shady woods and hedges. /3. In drier situations. 

 Saham, Norfolk; and near Forfar, in Scotland. 



Perennial ; flowering in July and August. 



This is a coarse grass, containing but a small proportion of nutritive 

 matter ; and although a native of woods and shady situations, it will 

 flourish in open exposed places ; but it appears to possess no properties 

 to render it worthy the notice of the agriculturist. 



2. B. as'per, Linn. (Fig. 169.) hairy Wood Brome-grass. Panicle 

 branched, drooping ; spikelets compressed ; florets remote, hairy ; 

 awn shorter than the floret ; leaves uniform, the lower ones hairy. 



English Botany, t. 1172.— English Flora, vol. i. p. 158.— Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 312. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 54. 



Root of many strong branched fibres. Stem erect, simple, striated, 

 round, smooth, and leafy upwards, from four to six feet high. Leaves 

 broad, spreading, lanceolate, rough, the lower ones hairy, many-ribbed. 

 Sheaths long, close, striated, and more or less clothed with deflexed 

 hairs. Ligula short, obtuse. Inflorescence a ver^ lax, wide-spreading, 

 drooping panicle, its branches slender, subdivided, rough. Spikelets 

 compressed, about an inch long. Florets about eight, rather remote. 

 Ghnnes very unequal, sharply pointed, rough : the outer valve smallest, 

 keeled ; the inner keeled, and with two lateral ribs. Glumelles nearly- 

 equal : the outer lanceolate, ribbed, roughish, and hairy, membranous 

 on the edges towards the extremity, and bifid at the apex ; the atcn 

 stout, straight, rough, shorter, or about the length of the valve ; the 

 inner valve shortest, obtuse, its lateral ribs finely hairy. Stigmas 

 densely feathery. Fruit linear, blunt, and downy towards the summit, 

 fun'owed on one side. 

 Habitat. — Moist woods and hedges, not very common. 

 Annual or biennial ; flowering from June to August. 



