110 BRITISH GRASSES. 



recommend this as an ornamental grass ; it grows freely, 

 and its glaucous foliage and sunny panicles contrast very 

 well with the rich tints of Geraniums and Verbenas, in 

 summer bouquets. It flowers during the later summer 

 season and the early autumn. The erect teeth of the 

 bristles distinguish it from the Rough Panicum, and the 

 disparity of length between the second and third glumes 

 distinguish it from the Green Panicum, which in other 

 respects it resembles very closely. 



5. Panicum viride, Linn. Green Panicum, 



(Setaria, Brit. PI.) 



Root annual, fibrous ; stems erect, often branched at the 

 base, rough in the upper part ; joints about four ; sheaths 

 smooth, ribbed, the upper one shorter than its leaf; ligule 

 short, blunt, hairy at the edge ; leaves lanceolate, rather 

 rough on both surfaces, very rough at the margins ; panicle 

 simple, spike-like ; branches hairy ; spikelets flattened at 

 the back, crowded, sessile or nearly so ; involucrum of rough 

 bristles, their teeth pointing upwards ; spikelets crowded, 

 green ; first glume very small, second and third larger and 

 equal, the third considered by some authors to contain a 

 barren floret ; flowering glume of fertile floret as large as 

 the second and third glumes, and with three ribs ; palea 

 flattish and folded at the edges ; stamens three ; anthers 

 dark-violet, notched at both ends; styles two, long, and 

 smooth, stigmas short and feathery ; seeds glossy. 



The Green Panicum is more frequent in England than 

 the two allied species, but even it has no claim to being 

 indigenous. It affects dry sandy ground principally in 

 waste places. It is a harsh grass, undesirable for agri- 

 cultural purposes, and only valued by the small birds, 



