PHLEUM. 123 



" Gardeners' Garters;" and Miss Pratt states that other 

 country people called it " Windle Straw." It has once 

 been found wild in Scotland. 



This is a very productive grass, and may be cut down 

 several times during the summer. Unfortunately its 

 foliage is too coarse to be pleasing to cattle, and they 

 will only eat it when very hungry. In tenacious soils, 

 however, and by the side of ponds and ditches, and in 

 marshes, it is worth cultivating. It forms good shelter 

 for waterfowl. 



In Britain, Germany, and throughout the south of 

 Europe it is frequent, but it has not been found in Nor- 

 way, Sweden, or Lapland, nor yet in America. 



Tribe IV. AGEOSTIDE^]. 



Panicles more or less spreading ; spikelets one-flowered, 

 situated on footstalks. 



Genus VIII. PHLEUM. 



Gen. Char. Panicle spike-like ; spikelets one-flowered ; 

 outer glumes oblong, linear-lanceolate, compressed, nearly 

 equal, pointed or awned ; flowering glume and palea shorter 

 and concealed within the outer glume, awnless, and very 

 thin, sometimes there is a minute awn on the back of the 

 flowering glume or a bristle at the base of the palea; ovary 

 roundish, filaments three, capillary, longer than the glumes ; 

 anthers oblong, notched at each end ; styles two, capillary, 

 reflexed ; stigmas feathery ; scales ovate, concave, acute ; 

 seed roundish, enveloped by the flowering glume and palea, 

 but not united to them. 



