TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Glyceria. \ 17 



Curt. Lond.fasc. \.t 7. Mart. Rust. t. \ 13. Fl. Dan. t. 237, 



Host Gram. v. 2. 55. t. 77. Schrcb. Gram. v. 1.37. I. 3. Leers 



35. t.S.f.5. 

 Poa fluitans. Scop. Cam. erf. 2.v.\. 73. Fl. Br. 96. Engl. Bot. 



V. 22. t. 1520. Knapp t. 45. SuUsb. Pr. 21 . Hook. Scot. 32. 



Schrad. Germ. v. 1. 280. 

 P. n. 1453. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 219. 

 Gramen aquaticum^ cum longissima panicvili. Bauh. Hist. v. 2. 



490./. Rail Srjn. 412. 

 G. aquaticum fluitans, multiplici spica. Bauh. Theatr. 41./, 



Scheuchz. Agr. 199. t.4.f.5. 

 G. fluviatile. Gar. Em. 14./. 

 G. loliaceum fluviatile, spica longissima divisa. Moris, v. 3. 183. 



sect. 8. t.3.f. IG. 

 <ji. mannae esculentum prutenicum. Loes. Pruss, 108. t.2], bad. 



In stagnant waters, and slow streams, frequent. 



Perennial. Jmte — August. 



Root long and creeping, or partly floating. Stems ascending, round, 

 striated, leafy, smooth, hollow, tender, partly decumbent on the 

 surface of the water, as are many of the long, linear, obtuse, flat, 

 smooth leaves. Sheaths long, compressed, very smcotli. Stipula 

 pointed, often torn, decurrent. Panicle nearly erect, long and 

 narrow, doubly but sparingly branched, the branches roughish, 

 rather turned to one side, tor the most part erect, but while 

 flowering strongly divaricated for a tim«. Spikelets erect, long, 

 linear, nearly cylindrical, of 8 — 12, rather lax, florets. Cat. mem- 

 branous, obtuse, with a green keel, but no lateral ribs ; one 

 valve much the largest. Outer valve of the cor. cylindrical, ob- 

 tuse ; membranous, and often notched, at the summit ; mi- 

 nutely downy under a high magnifier, furnished with no promi- 

 nent keel, but with 7 equal, parallel, roughish ribs, besides a 

 short intermediate one, on each side of the central rib, at the 

 t)ottomj inner valve flat, inflexed at the edges, with a marginal 

 rib, as in most of the true grasses, the summit cloven. Nect. 

 thick and glandular, scarcely lobed. Anth. much contracted 

 after flowering. Germ, elliptical. Styles distinct. Stigmas 

 large and bushy, being, as Curtis and Brown remark, repeat- 

 edly compound. Seed elliptic-oblong, with a deep furrow at 

 one side. 



Loesel describes the mode of collecting the seeds for food, of which 

 a more ample account may be seen in the FL Londinensis. They 

 are said to be very sweet, especially before they arrive at matu- 

 rity ; whence the name of Manna grass, which, no doubt, sug- 

 gested to Mr. Brown the generic name. The fine sharp bran is 

 said to kill intestinal worms in horses. 



The ^o«;e)s, like those of Aba aquatica, have a sweet taste. Tlie 

 nectary is really a secretory gland. 



