POLYPOGON. 145 



weight. It is a very favourite grass ; the white silky- 

 awns and the abundant hairiness of the outer glumes 

 form a delicate glossy fringe, investing the whole head 

 and giving a very attractive effect. On this account it 

 is now extensively cultivated as an ornamental grass for 

 flower-beds and rockeries, and is easy of cultivation and 

 effective in its assumed position. 



Genus XII. POLYPOGON. 



Gen. Char. Inflorescence a spike-like panicle ; spikelets 

 single-flowered ; outer glumes nearly equal, narrow, straight, 

 concave, with cloven points, and awns attached to the keels ; 

 flowering glume about half the length of outer glume, 

 broadisb, notched at the summit, awned ; palea also notched 

 at the summit, thin, transparent, narrow, and awnless ; 

 scales oblong ; ovary ovate ; filaments capillary, as long as 

 the flowering glume ; anthers oblong, cloven at each end ; 

 styles two, far separated, stigmas with long feathery hairs ; 

 seed ovate, enveloped by the flowering glume and palea but 

 not fastened to them. 



1. Polypogon monspeliensis, Desf. Annual Beard 



Grass. 



(Agrostis panicea, Eng. Bot.) 



Eoot annual, fibrous, small ; stems numerous, simple, 

 ascending, from nine to fifteen inches in height; joints 

 smooth ; leaves flat, broad, acute, rough-edged, pale, and 

 rather glaucous ; sheaths long, smooth, striated, the upper 

 one longer than its leaf ; ligule long, acute ; panicle com- 

 pound, erect, dense, lobed and branched, silky, pale green, 

 from one and a half to two inches long; spikelets one- 

 flowered, numerous, crowded ; outer glumes linear, hairy, 

 obtuse, the lower part of the keel toothed, not ribbed, 



L 



