582 THE GEASS FAMILY. 



In moist meadows, and marshy places, throughout Europe and Russian 

 Asia from the Mediterranean to the Arctic regions, and uaturahzed in other 

 parts of the globe. Abundant in Britain. Fl. all summer. A shght 

 vaviety, with still shorter awns, has been described under the name of A. 

 fulviis (Eng. Eot. t. 1467), and in some locahties, especially near the sea, the 

 stems tliicken at the base into a kind of bidb, which state has also been dis- 

 tinguished as a species, under the name of .4. bulbosus (Eng. Bot. t. 1249). 



4. Alpine Foxtail. Alopeciirus alpinus, Sm. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1126.) 



Eootstock creeping and stems erect, as in the meadow J"., but usually not 

 so tall, and the sheaths of the upper leaves looser. Spike ovoid or shortly 

 cylindrical, seldom above an inch long unless cultivated, and softly silky 

 with the rather long hairs which cover the glumes. Spikelets closely imbri- 

 cated, rather smaller than in the meadow P.; the awns either included within 

 the outer glumes or scarcely projecting beyond them. 



A high northern plant, extending from east Arctic Europe across Arctic 

 7\sia and America, aud reappearing in the Antarctic regions. In Britain, it 

 occurs in the higher mountains of Scotland, although unknown in Scan- 

 dinavia. Fl. summer. 



X. CHAiaAGZtOSTIS. CHAMAGROSTIS. 



A single species, differing from A.grostis chiefly in the inflorescence, which 

 is a simple spike nearer that of the Kordeinece, although the spikelets are 

 r.ot closely sessile enough to remove it to that tribe. 



1. Dvrarf Chama^ostis. Chamagnrostis minima, Borkh. 



(Knappia agrostidea, Eng. Bot. t. 1127.) 

 A little, tufted annual, seldom 3 inches high. Leaves short and narrow, 

 with veiT thin sheaths. Spikelets small, purpUsh, almost sessile in a simple 

 slender spike, about lialf an inch long. Outer glumes nearly equal, obtuse, 

 about a line long. Flowering glume shorter, veiy thin and scarious, hairy 

 outside, jagged at the top, but not awned. Palea small or sometimes none. 

 In sandy pastures, and waste places, in western Europe, not extending in 

 central Europe much to the eastward of the Khine, although in the south it 

 reaches as far as Greece. Rare in Britain, and apparently confined to the 

 coasts of Anglesea and the Channel Islands. Fl. spring. 



XL HARE'S-TAIXi. LAGURUS. 



A single species, with the characters nearly of Smallreed, except the in- 

 florescence, which is that of Foxtail. 



1. Ovate Hare's-tail. Iiag^urus ovatus, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1334.) 



An erect annual, from a few inches to above a foot high ; the leaves hoary 



with a soft down, their sheaths rather swollen. Spikelets 1-flowered, very 



numerous, and closely crowded in an ovoid or oblong, softly hairy head, ^ to 



1 inch long. Outer glumes subulate or slightly dilated at the base, about 



