POA. 



269 



or having thein very indistinct, tbe summit of the upper 

 glume is on a level with the base of the fourth floret ; 

 flowering glumes of the same character as the outer ones, 

 obtuse, or slightly pointed, keeled ; palea keeled, the keel 

 fringed. 



A seaside grass, occurring occasionally on our coasts, 

 much resembling the P. rigida, and even exceeding it 

 in stiffness, and of smaller 

 size. Its panicles resemble 

 the Ray-grass in miniature. 

 It has no agricultural value, 

 except that of being able to 

 exist where no other grass 

 is capable of living, on the 

 driest sands and under a 

 parching sun. This little 

 grass is to be found in dry 

 spots among those wild 

 Cornish cliffs, it has all the 

 characters of alpine plants, 

 so firm, fully formed, and perfect, in so minute a form : 

 like the P. rigida, it turns a reddish-brown when sun- 

 burnt, and is little observed except by such as examine 

 the rock stores very closely. 



Sir J. E. Smith places it in the genus Triticum, and 

 Mr. Babington makes it a Sclerochloa. 



8. Poa annua, Linn. Annual Poa. 



Uoot annual, with numerous fibres ; stems at first de- 

 cumbent, throwing out rootlets, and thus extending itself 

 widely ; joints rooting ; leaves flat, sword-shaped, often 

 crumpled here and there, light green, smooth on both sur- 



