306 



t 



Tritimim repens. Creeping Wheat-grass, Couch, Quitch, Dog's-grass, 



Quicks 



cific chare 



s acuminate; leaves 



flat; root creeping. 

 Obs.— Root perennial, powerfully creeping, jointed, coated, fibres downy. Stems slender, 

 upright, two feet high, but acquire a much greater height when drawn up in hedges, 

 round, smooth, striated, having five or six joints, which are frequently tinged with red. 

 Leaves spreading very much, smooth on the under surface, on the upper and the margin 

 rugged ; they are often directed on one side. Spike nearly upright, two or three inches 

 long, flat, composed of numerous spikets, often more or less awned. Flo 



W: 



Smith Brit. 158 ; Flo. Dan. t. 784. 



Experiments .—At the time of flowering, the produce from a clayey loam, is. 



dr. qr, 



oz. 



lbs. 



Grass, 18 oz. The produce per acre 

 80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 

 The produce of the space, ditto 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 

 The produce of the space, ditto 



196020 



12251 4 



32 

 115 Of 



J 



2 



9 



78408 



4900 8 



6125 10 



382 13 10 



64 dr. of the roots afford of nutritive matter 5 dr. 3 qr. The proportional nutritive powers 

 of the roots, is therefore superior to that of the herbage as 8 to 23, ^ 



This species constitutes the principal of what is termed Couch-grass in gardens or rich culti- 

 vated grounds. The 



The Holciis mollis and Poa pratensis, are the proper Couch-grasses of light or 

 sandy soils. The Agrostis alba is chiefly troublesome as couch in clayey lands. Forking out 

 the roots after the plough, is doubtless the best mode of extirpating this noxious weed; but the 

 process must not be discontinued while a particle of the root is suspected to remain in the soil, 

 as the least portion will grow, and the land being so much broken and loosened by the operation, 

 gives double encouragement for the rapid growth of the plant. It does not thrive well when 

 combined with other grasses, but is naturally more common in hedges. 



The roots contain a large proportion of nutritive matter; they are esteemed abroad for feed- 

 ing horses. At Naples, they are collected in large quantities for this purpose, and brought to 

 market. My kind friend, Mr. Thomas Roy, sent me some of these roots from Naples; 



kind friend, Mr. Thomas Roy, sent me some of these roots from Naples; they 

 were much larger than any I had seen of British growth. On trial, the given quantity afforded 

 6 dr. 2 qr. of nutritive matter ; being, in this respect, superior to the English roots in the pro- 

 portion of 26 to 23. Boerhaave "recommends the juice of the root to be drunk liberally m 

 obstructions of the viscera, particularly in cases of schirrhous liver and jaundice. Dogs eat 

 the leaves of this grass, and also those of the Holcus avenaceus, to excite vomiting. The nutri- 

 tive matter from the leaves contain an excess of bitter extractive and saline matters. 



Flowers about the beginning of August, and the seed is ripe about the end of the same 



F 



month; but it is seldom good, being subject to mildew. 





