TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Festuca. 139 



Schreber and Schrader, great authorities, assert the seed to 

 be attached to the corolla, as well as closely enveloped in 

 its glumes. But on a careful examination of many of the 

 most genuine species, this does not prove correct. There 

 is no connection, or union of the parts in question ; nor 

 is the corolla at all hardened, enlarged, or altered, as it 

 alvk'ays is when miited with the ripening seed. 



1. F. ovina. Sheep's Fescue-grass. 



Panicle unilateral, rather close. Florets cylindrical, pointed 

 or awned ; smooth at the base, and at the edges of the 

 inner valve. Stem square. Leaves folded, bristle-shaped. 

 Stipula short and obtuse. 



F. ovina. Linn. Sp. PL 108. IVilld. tj. 1. 419. i^. fir. 1 13. Engl. 



Bot. V. 9. ^.585. Mart. Rust. 1. 102. Knajyp t. 66. Hook. Scot. 38. 



Schrad. Germ. u. 1 . 3 19. Host Gram. v. 2. 60. t. 84. Leers 32. 



^.8./.3. 

 Gramen foliolis junceis brevibus majus, radice nigra. Baiih. 



Prodr. 1 1 . Theatr. 73. Scheuchz. Agr. 279. t. 6.f. 8. 

 /3. Festuca rubra, ff'ith. 153 ; from the author. 

 y. F. CEesia. Engl. Bot. v. 27. t.l9l7. Comp. 17. 

 S. F. tenuifolia. Sibth. Oxon. 44. Schrad. Germ. v. 1.318. 

 F. ovina (3. Leers 33. t. S.f. 4. 

 F. ovina. Ehrh. Calam. 53. 



F. duriuscula. Villars Dauph. 98 ; from the author. 



Gramen capillaceum locustellis pennatis non aristatis. Rail Syn, 

 410. Pluk. Phijt.t. 34. f. 2. Scheuchz. Agr. 275. t. 6. f 6. 



G. foliolis junceis brevibus minus. Bauh. Theatr. 73. f; though 

 the glumes are said in the description to be awned. 



G. loliaceum, foliolis brevibus junceis^ minus. Moris, v. 3. 182. 

 sects. t.3.f.\3. 



In dry open pastures, very common. 



Perennial. June. 



Root of numerous, long, capillary, smooth, blackish fibres. .S7e»i5 

 from 6 to 12 inches high, erect, slender, rather rigid, smooth ; 

 leafy below ; square in the upper part. Leaves chiefly radical, 

 very numerous, composing dense tufts, linear, acute, folded, or 

 involute, so as to be quite bristle-shaped, or capillary, roughish, 

 of a dull, sometimes glaucous, green. Sheatlis angular, or fur- 

 rowed. Stipula very short ; attended at each side with more or 

 less of a polished tubercle at the top of the sheath, like a knot. 

 Panicle small, erect, slightly branched. Florets 4 or 5, nearly 

 cylindrical, acute, or awned, the keel scarcely prominent j the 

 upper part roughish with minute tubercles ; their inner valve 

 smooth at the ribs, or edges. The var. /3 has a more purple 

 panicle than usual ; ihcjlorels in 5 have no awns, y is remarkable 



