poa. 263 



a long point like the fronds of Asplenium Adiantum-ni- 

 grum. The rachis is much branched, the branches in 

 whorls and compound, very slender, flexible, and droop- 

 ing, bearing innumerable narrow spikelets, each of which 

 contains several florets, the flowering glumes of which 

 are beautifully tinted with rose-colour. The panicle 

 looks like a cloud of green and rose-coloured insects held 

 together in a swaying cone by most delicate green threads; 

 the contrast of the pale green flag-like foliage with this 

 coloured panicle is perfect. We earnestly recommend 

 the species to those who cultivate ornamental grasses. 



3. Poa raaritiina, Huds. Sea Poa. 



Root creeping, perennial ; stems decumbent at first, then 

 erect, smooth, about a foot in height ; leaves short, narrow, 

 folded or rolled in, compressed ; panicle branched, spreading 

 slightly in flower, the branches diverging at that time, but 

 becoming erect or nearly so in seed ; spikelets not numer- 

 ous, linear, turning to one side, stalked, containing six to 

 ten florets ; outer glumes rather more than half the length 

 of the flowering ones, rounded on the back, blunt and scale- 

 like at the apex; flowering glumes five-ribbed, long, acute, 

 the point almost awn-like ; palea the same length, with 

 green marginal ribs. 



The Sea Poa is a native of salt-marshes, especially 

 those where sand prevails rather than mud, or it will 

 grow in maritime situations which are not marshy, but 

 its preference is strongly for the wet ground. It is 

 found in such situations on all the coasts of Britain ex- 

 cepting the east of England. Its foreign homes are 

 Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, 

 Iceland, and North America. 



