GRAMINEiE. 591 



flowered ; the upper flower male only, its glume bearing a short awn ; the 

 lowest hermaphrodite, its glume usually awnless. Outer glumes boat- 

 shaped, compressed, enclosing the flowers. Axis of the spikelet without 

 hairs. 



A genus limited by most botanists to the two European species, allied on 

 the one hand to Bigraphis, from which it difiers in the presence of an upper 

 male flower and the want of the rudimentary scales below the perfect one ; 

 on the other to False- Oat, but with a different habit, and the male flower 

 above, not below, the perfect one. 



Outer glumes about 2 lines long, rather obtuse, concealing the awn . 1. Common H, 

 Outer glumes near 3 Unes long, very pointed, the awn projecting be- 

 yond them 2. Softs. 



1. Common XXolcus. Holcus lanatus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1169.) 



A perennial Q-rass, with a creeping rootstock and ascending stems, 1 to 2 

 feet high, more or less clothed, as well as the leaves, with a very short down, 

 which gives to the whole plant a pale, soft appearance. Panicle 2 to 3 inches 

 long, of a pale-whitish colour or sometimes reddish. Outer glumes about 

 2 hues long, obtuse, but often bearing a short point just below the tip. 

 Lowest flowering glume awnless, smooth and shining ; the upper one thin- 

 ner, its awn seldom reaching the length of the outer glumes. 



In meadows, pastures, and waste planes, throughout Europe and probably 

 Russian Asia, except the extreme north. One of the commonest British 

 Grasses. Fl. all summer. 



2. Soft Holcus. Holcus mollis, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1170.) 



Very near the common S., and by some considered as a mere variety. It 

 is not generally so downy, although the hairs on the joints are rather more 

 conspicuous, the spikelets are larger, the outer glumes taper to a fine point, 

 and the awn of the upper flowering glume usually projects beyond the 

 outer ones. 



In similar situations with the common H., and with nearly the same geo- 

 graphical area, but much less common. Generally distributed over Britain, 

 but certainly not abundant, and in some parts very rare. Fl. summer. 



XXL CVNODON. CYNODON. 



Spikelets 1-flowered, awnless, sessile along one side of the simple, spike- 

 like branches of the panicle, which aU proceed from nearly the same point, 

 so as to appear digitate. At the base of the palea is a small bristle or 

 prolongation of the axis, sometimes bearing a very minute rudimentary 

 glume. 



A genus of very few species, perhaps all varieties of a single one, readUy 

 known by the digitate spikes from all British Grasses except the fingered 

 and the glabrous Panicums, and from them by the spikelets arranged singly, 

 not in pairs, along the spikes. 



1. Creeping Cynodon. Cynodon Dactylon, Fers. 



iPanicum, Eng. Bot. t. 850.) 

 A low, prostrate Grass, often creeping and rooting to a great extent j the 



