554 



CVII. GRAMINE^. 



[ Triodia. 



tain forms might be advantageously united. As to P. ccesta of 

 Smith, referred by Smith himself to his F. glauca, there is some 

 doubt : the figure in E. B, t. 1719, is rather ambiguous; and Mr, 

 Borrer informs us that he has never seen it except in gardens ; perhaps 

 it is merely the fertile form of P. alpina, and the root, which, accord^ 

 'ingto Smith, is tufted, not creeping, agrees with that species ; but what 

 is usually so called is referable to either P. glauca or P. Balfourii^ 

 We do not know which species Mr. Babington intends by his P. cccsia 

 •which he removes to a different section from where P. nemoralis is 

 placed. Mr. Babington attributes very short ligules to our 7. as 

 well as to a. and j6., characterising P. Balfourii alone by the pro- 

 minent obtuse ligule; but our observations were made on what we 

 were informed was an authentic specimen of P, montana^ and it had 

 long ligules. In our opinion P. glauca and P. Baffourii, havino- 

 broader spikelets than in ^. or 7.,. of 3 — 5 florets, and usually of a 

 purplish colour, although variable in that respect, are undistinguishable 

 from each o'ther, except by the web of the florets, which however Is 

 sometimes almost Inconspicuous in Dr. Balfour's own specimens, and 

 -disappears by cultivation. 



Root annual. 



16. 



(annual 



somewhat triangular, spikelets oblong-ovate of about 5 florets 

 which are a little remote 5-ribbed destitute of web, the midrib 

 ' and all the nerves more or less silky, upper sheath longer than 

 its leaf, ligule oblong acute, culm ascending compressed, root 

 fibrous. jE. B. t. 1141 : Parn. Gr. tt. 40, 41. 



Meadows and pastures, and by road-sides, everywhere. 

 Culms 6— 



Q. 4—9. 



10 inches long, below prostrate and throwing out roots. 

 Leaves distichous, linear^ rather blunt, flaccid, often waved, bright 

 green. Glumes very unequal, ovate-lanceolate, rough at the back, 

 3-nerved. Outer glumella ovate-lanceolate, acute, white and diapha- 

 nous at the margin. 



27. Triodia Brown. 



Heatb-grass. 



(Tab. VIL f. 24.) 



Panicle racemed. Spikelets compressed with 2 — 4 fertile 

 florets. Glumes 2, about equal, 3-ribbed, as long as the florets. 

 Glumellas 2 ; outer somewhat coriaceous, rounded on the back, 

 hairy at the base, 3-toothed at the summit ; teeth liearly of the 

 same length, middle one straight (sometimes bristle-shaped).— 

 E"amed from rptiq three^ and o^ovc^ a tooth, 



1. T. decumhens Beauv. (demimhent H.) ; panicle of few 

 racemed spikelets, ligule a tuft of hairs, Parn. Gr. t.30. Poa 

 JE. B. t. 792. Festuca L. Danthonia DC. 



Abundant in dry mountain-pastures, heaths, and moors. . 

 Cuhn 



7. 



1 



foot long, procumbent ; flowerin"* 



_ _ ^ culms only erect. 



Leaves linear, acuminate, hairy as well as the sheaths. Glumes nearly 

 equal, as long as the whole spikelet, lanceolate, acute, 3-nerved with 

 broad thin margins, scabrous on their keels. Outer glumdla ovate, 



/ 



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