GBAMINE^. 603 



On sandy seacoasts, common round the Mediterranean, and extending up 

 the shores of western Europe to tlie EngUsh Channel. In Britain, on the 

 coasts of Ireland, and western, southern, and south-eastern England. Fl. 

 early summer. 



XXXII. COCK'S-POOT. DACTYLIS. 



A single species, with all the characters of Fescue, except that the spike- 

 lets are densely crowded in thick, one-sided clusters, arranged in an irregu- 

 lar short spike or slightly branched panicle. 



1. Clustered Cock's-foot. Dactylis glomerata, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 335.) 



A coarse, stiff grass, 1 to 2 feet high, the perennial stock forming at 

 length dense tufts. Leaves flaccid, but rough on the edges. Clusters of 

 spikelets dense and ovoid, sometimes collected into a close spike of about 

 an inch, sometimes in a broken spike of several mches, or on the branches 

 of a short, more or less spreading panicle. Each spikelet much flattened, 

 ovate, 3- to 5-flowered. Glumes lanceolate, strongly keeled, ciliated on the 

 back and pointed at the top, the flowering ones more so than the outer ones, 

 the point often lengthened into a short awn. 



In meadows, pastures, woods, and waste ground, throughout Europe, cen- 

 tral and Eussian Asia, except the extreme north. Abundant in Britain. 

 Fl. the whole season. 



XXXIII. DOG'S-TAIL. CYNOSUEUS. 



Spikelets in sessile clusters, forming a one-sided spike or head ; the outer 

 spikelet of each cluster consisting of several glumes, all empty ; the 

 other spikelets containing 2 to 5 flowers ; the glumes pointed or awned as 

 in Fescue. 



As now limited, the genus comprises but one Mediterranean species be- 

 sides the two British ones. 



Spike semi-cylindrical. Glumes pointed 1. Crested D. 



Spike ovoid. Glumes awned 2. jRough D. 



1. Crested Dog's-tail. Cynosurus cristatus, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 316.) 



A sh"htly tufted perennial, with short, narrow leaves, mostly radical, and 

 a slender, often wiry, erect stem, from under a foot to near 2 feet high. 

 Flowering spike semi-cylindrical, oblong or nearly Unear, 1 to 3 inches long ; 

 the clusters regular, and all turned to one side ; the outer elegantly pinnate 

 empty spikelets being the most conspicuous, and forming a kind of involucre 

 to each cluster, within which are 1 or 2 fertile spikelets, each with 3 to 5 

 flowers. The glumes, whether empty or flowering, all terminate in a very 

 short point. 



In rather dry, hilly pastures, and downs, throughout Europe and western 

 Asia, except the extreme north. Abundant in Britain. Fl. summer. The 

 dry stalks, rejected by sheep, and remaining all the autumn, are called Bents 

 in many parts of the country. 



