HOLCUS. 187 



easy of cultivation. It contains a great deal of mucilage 

 and sugar, and is not liked by cattle, who prefer saline 

 or acid qualities ; they would probably like it better if 

 sprinkled with salt. 



Mr. Curtis tells us that the u appearance of the red 

 panicle of the Meadow Soft-grass was a sign to the 

 farmer that the crop was ready for the scythe/' Like 

 the Bromus mollis it has had its day of popularity and 

 is now thrown into the shade, but the reaction is much 

 less severe in its case than in that of the Brome-grass. 



Moist shady banks, woods, groves, and moist meadows 

 suit this grass the best. It is least attractive when 

 growing in the shade, for then it lacks the purple or 

 rosy tint which generally forms the principal charm of 

 its modest panicle. 



Common throughout Britain, and in Germany, France, 

 and Italy. It flowers early in June and ripens its abun- 

 dant crop of seed in July. 



2. Holcus mollis, Linn. Soft Holcus. 



Hoot perennial, creeping widely ; stems slender, erect, 

 cylindrical, smooth, one to two feet high ; joints four, co- 

 vered with fine deflexed hairs ; leaves pale, flat, broadish, 

 pointed, downy on both surfaces ; panicle compound, erect ; 

 branches spreading, hairy, placed in pairs on the rachis ; 

 branchlets hairy ; spikelets mostly ascending, two-flowered ; 

 outer glumes unequal, acute, hairy, upper one broader and 

 a little longer, three-ribbed, lower without ribs ; flowering 

 glumes half the length of the larger outer glume, obtuse, 

 that of the lower floret with three long slender hairs at the 

 base, upper one on a long smooth footstalk, and with at 

 least double the number of hairs at the base ; awn arising 

 from a little below the summit of the flowering glume of the 



