37 



DIANDRIA DIGYNIA. 

 16. ANTHOXANTHUM. Vernal -grass. 



Linn. Gen. 18. Juss. 29. Fl. Br. 31. Lam. t. 23. 



Nat. Ord. Gramina. Linn. 4. Giaminece. Juss. 10. Br. 

 Pr. 168. See next 'class. 



Cal. single-flowered, of 2 ovate, pointed, concave valves ; 

 tlie inner largest. Cor. of 2 equal valves, shorter than 

 the cal. awned at the back ; the longer avon jointed. Nect. 

 2 ovate, thin, minute scales, clasping the base of the ger- 

 men. Stam. protruding, capillary. Antli. oblong, forked 

 at each end. Germ, superior, oblong. Styles short. 

 Stigmas erect, long, downy. Seed 1, roundish, acute at 

 each end, naked, unconnected with the glumes. 



True grasses. Stem jointed. Panicle dense, compound. 



1. A. odoratwn. Sweet-scented Vernal-grass. 



Panicle spiked, ovate-oblong. Flov^ers longer than their 

 awns, on short partial stalks. 



A. odoratum. Lmn. Sp. PL 40. Willd. v. \. \o6. Vahl Enum. v.\. 



310. Fl.Br.5\. Engl. Bot. v.9. t. 647. Curt. Land. fuse. \. t. 4. 



Hook. Scot. 11. Mart. Rust. t.23. Stillingjl. t.\. Sclireb. Gram. 



49. t. 5. Leers 6. t. 2./. 1 . Poit. et Turp. Par. t. 39. Sind. 7. 

 (jrramen vernum, spica brevi laxa. Rati Syn. 398. 



In meadows and pastures very common. 



Perennial. May, June. 



Root fibrous. Stems slender, rigid, smooth, a foot high, with 1 or 

 2 Joints, tasting like lavender. Leaves flat, bright green, a little 

 hairy ; each with a white, membranous, sheathing stipula. Fl. 

 generally closed, brownish ; turning yellow with age. In drying 

 the plant exhales the odour of Woodruff, and is the chief cause 

 of the fragrance of new hay. 



For a new and very curious view of the /loivers of this genus, given 

 by Mr. Brown, see Hierochloe, Gen. 41. 



