140 AVENA. [class in. ORDER II. 



green, rougbish. Sheaihs close, striated, and smooth. Ligula obtusej 

 torn. Inflorescence an erect, rather close panicle; its branches scarcely 

 subdivided, rough, slender, all turned to one side, abruptly swollen at 

 the extremity. Spikelets two, very rarely three or four-flowered. 

 Ghimes nearly equal, thin, membranous, smooth, except a slight 

 roughness on its numerous ribs ; the margins and point white, very 

 thin. Florets elevated on a short smooth footstalk, that of the second 

 having near its extremity a lateral tuft of hairs. Glumelles unequal : 

 the outer concave, lanceolate, bifid at the extremity ; the points long, 

 narrow, terminating in two rough purplish awns, besides the dorsal 

 awn, which is nearly as long again as the valve, and inserted above its 

 middle ; the valve is smooth, sometimes slightly scattered over with flat 

 twisted hairs, obscurely ribbed, except towards the point, where it is 

 also roughish : inner valve lanceolate, flat, with two lateral downy ribs 

 and a bifid apex. Stigmas short, feathery. 



Habitat. — Frequent in corn-fields in England, Scotland, and Wales. 

 Near Cork, Ireland — Mr. J. Drummond. 



Annual; flowering in June and July. 



The habit and size of this species have a greater resemblance to the 

 cultivated Oat, A. sativa, than the last; but its oblong, rather crowded, 

 one-sided panicle, and the awned extremity of the florets, essentially 

 distinguish it from all other species, and give the whole panicle a 

 remarkably strigose or bristly appearance; hence its specific name. 



3. A. praten'sis, Linn. (Fig. 181.) narrotv-leaved Oat-grass. Panicle 



an erect, nearly simple raceme ; spikelets erect ; florets from three 



to five, longer than the glumes ; leaves long, narrow, smooth 



except on the margins, the lower ones with the margins closely 



rolled inwards. 



English Botany, t. 1204. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 155. — Lindley, 



Synopsis, p. 310. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 53. — Sinclair, Hort. 



Gram. Woburn. p. 312. 



Root fibrous, tufted. Stems erect, several from the same root, tufted, 

 from one to three feet high, striated, smooth, with a single joint near 

 the base, from whence arises the upper and almost only leaf of the 

 stem, which is very short, narrow, striated ; the sheath very long, close, 

 deeply striated, smooth, except a slight roughness upon the edge of the 

 stria. The lower leaves long, tufted, narrow; the margins closely rolled 

 inwards, and minutely serrated ; their sheaths short, and enveloped in 

 the withered remains of the older ones. Inflorescence an erect, simple 

 raceme, or a slightly branched panicle ; the upper spikelets sessile, the 

 lower on simple or branched, angular, and rough stalks. Glumes un- 

 equal, lanceolate, with a long narrow point, frequently terminating in 

 a roughish awn, each with two smooth lateral ribs and a keel, rough 

 towards the extremity. Florets from three to five or six, each upon a 

 short stalk, the upper part clothed with short, stiff", white, shining hairs. 



