150 HORDEUBf. [CLASS in. oaDER ii. 



were extended to the coast of England by the British Parliament in 

 the reign of George II. Vast tracts of fertile country in Egypt have> 

 by means of these drifting sands, been converted into barren deserts. 

 The Dutch owe to the protecting power of these grasses the existence 

 of considerable tracts of their country; and the sand-hills on various 

 parts of the French coast, are covered and kept firm by these mat- 

 grasses. Spurnhead, on our own coast, is a projecting sand-bank at 

 the mouth of the river Humber, firmly fixed by roots of the mat - 

 grasses, and receives the full force of the swelling sea, breaking its 

 power before reaching the town of Hull, which is so situated that it is 

 supposed, unless it was thus protected, it would ere now have been 

 destroyed, and its site have formed part of the sea. 



2. E. ffenicula'tus, Curtis, (Fig. 191.) ■penchdous Sea Lyme-grass. 

 Spike lax, becoming bent downwards with an angle ; spikelets in 

 pairs ; florets shorter than the subulate glumes. 



English Botany, t. 1586. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 178. — Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 296. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 55. — Sinclair, Hort- 

 Gram. Woburn. p. 370. . 



Root -with numerous downy fibres and slightly creeping tinderground 

 stems. Stem from two to three feet high, round, smooth, striated, and, 

 like the rest of the plant, a pale glaucous-green. Leaves long, the 

 upper side with numerous strong, close, roughish stria, the under 

 smooth, the margins rolled inwards, the point hard, acute. Sheaths 

 long, close, smooth, striated. Ligula very short, obtuse, crenated. 

 Inflorescence a long spike, at first erect, becoming when in flower bent 

 downwards at an acute angle, a remarkable circumstance characteristic 

 of the species. Spikelets two together, at the rather distant notches of 

 the zigzag rachis. Glumes equal, smooth, and shining, awl-shaped, 

 longer than the florets, keeled and obscurely ribbed. Florets three or 

 four, Glumelles equal : the outer valve ribbed, and thickly clothed 

 with short soft down ; inner thin, with two marginal ciliated ribs, the 

 apex bifid. Glumellules ovate, lanceolate, ciliated. Stigmas long, 

 feathery. Fruit linear, furrowed, the apex hairy. 



Habitat. — Near Gravesend, in a salt marsh ; very rare. 



Perennial ; flowering in July. 



GENUS XLVI. HOR'DEUM. Linn. Barley. 



Gen. Char, Inflorescence spiked. Spikelets single-flowered, three 

 together, the lateral ones mostly imperfect. Glumes two, lateral, 

 Glumelles two, the outer valve awned. Fruit closely invested v/ith 

 the glumelles. — Name of doubtful origin : it is said to be derived 

 from hordus, heavy ; on account of the heavy and inelastic bread 

 made with its flour. 



