TRIANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Festuca. 147 



F. elongata. Ehrh. Calam.9^. 

 F. fluitans /3. Hnd.t. 47. 

 Poa n. 1 452. //'///. Hist. v. 2. 2 i 9. 



Gramen loliaceum vulgare, spicis rarius dispositis. Moris, v. 3. 

 182. sect. 8. t. -l.f.'l. 



In rich moisr pastures and meadows, not uncommon. 



Perennial. June, Juhj. 



Many botanists have taken this grass for a variety of our Glyceria 

 fluitans, and more perhaps have overlooked it for Lolium perenne; 

 yet it is certainly distinct f om both, as Mr. Curtis has well de- 

 monstrated. The root is fibrous. Stems several, erect, 2 feet 

 high, simple, leafy, round, very smooth, of a pale green like the 

 rest of the plant. Leaves linear, narrow, flat, smooth ; with 

 long smooth sheaths ; and extremely short stipulas, embracing 

 the stem at each side with a small acute auricle, as in F. gigantea. 

 Spike a span long, or more, generally unbranched, of many al- 

 ternate, nearly or quite sessile, oblique, smooth, pale, upright, 

 compressed spikelets, on a wavy, angular, common stalk, chan- 

 nelled alternately to receive them, aiid rough at the angles, which 

 droops more or less in the upper part. Valves of the calyx very 

 unequal ; the smaller lodged in each channel of the stalk, linear- 

 lanceolate, varying in size, sometimes wanting ; larger opposite, 

 many-ribbed, bluntish. Florets 10 or 1 2, cylindrical ; smooth 

 below ; compressed and keeled at the summit, with 2 slight ribs 

 at each side, and roughish, ending in an acute membrane, some- 

 times attended by a small point, like the rudiment of an awn ; 

 inner valve nearly as large, downy at the ribs. Germen obovate. 

 Styles very short. Stigmas' dtxiasXy featherv along the upper 

 side. Tiie seeds are rarely perfected. 



11. Y . pratensis . Meadow Fescue-grass. 



Panicle nearly upright, branched, spreading, turned to one 

 side. Spikelets linear, compressed. Florets numerous, 

 cylindrical, obscurel}' ribbed. Nectarj' four-cleft. Root 

 fibrous. 



F. pratensis. Huds. ed. J. 37. Fl. Br. 123. Engl. Bat. v. 23, 

 t. 1592. Curt. Lond.fasc. 6. t. 7. Mart. Rust. t. 84, Knapp 

 t.73. Hook. Scot. 40. Schr ad. Germ. v. 1.332. 



F. elatior. Linn. Fl. Suec. 32. Host Gram. v. 2. 57. t. 79. Schreb, 

 Gram. v. 1 . 34. t. 2. Leers 35. f. 8./. 6. Elirh. Calam. 44. 



F. fluitans y. Huds. 47. 



Poa n. 1451. Hall. Hist. w. 2. 2 1 :). 



Gramen paniculatum elatius, spicis longis muticis squamosis. Rail 

 Syn. 411; hut not Barrel. Ic. t.25. 



G. loliaceum, panicula multiplici et spicata. Scheuchz. Jgr. 200. 

 t.4.f.Q. 



In rather moist pastures and meadows. 



1,2 



