CHLORIDEiE. 189 



account of these deep roots the grass bears drought 

 wonderfully well. It flourishes particularly well in the 

 sub- alpine woods in the north of Yorkshire, lifting its 

 small downy panicle from sandy nooks among the rough 

 grey rocks, and especially delighting in the dry almost 

 barren ground where the rains have deposited sand and 

 earth, and from whence the young trees have been cut 

 for props in the adjacent lead-mines. In these minia- 

 ture plains both the Soft-grasses luxuriate, but the Hoi- 

 cus mollis reigns there supreme. 



It is common throughout Britain, and also in Sweden, 

 Denmark, Germany, France, and Italy. 



Var. bi-arislatus, described by Dr. Parnell, has fewer 

 and longer spikelets, the flowering glumes as long as the 

 smaller outer one, and the palea as well as the flowering 

 glume is furnished with a long awn. 



Var. parviflorus has the spikelets as much smaller 

 than those of the normal form as those of the variety 

 bi-aristatus are larger; it grows in sandy ground, under 

 shade, and is of a dwarfed size. Both these varieties 

 flower early in July. 



Tribe VI. CHLORIDES. 



Genus XXI. CYNODON. 



Gen. Char. Spikelets single-flowered ; outer glumes nearly 

 equal ; florets awnless, placed on one side of the spike. 



1. Cynodon dactylon, Pers. Creeping Cynodon. 



Roots perennial, strong, fibrous, widely creeping ; stems 

 a span high, cylindrical, smooth, at first prostrate, then as- 

 cending ; joints all near the base, covered by the sheaths ; 



