282 



BRITISH GRASSES. 



13. Poa laxa, Hsenke. Wavy Poa. 



(P.flexuosa, Eng. Bot. ; P. minor, Bab. Man.) 



Root perennial, fibrous, somewhat creeping; stems round, 

 smooth, slender, from six to ten inches high ; joints only 

 two, the upper one nearer to the root than the panicle ; 

 leaves flat, narrow, tapering, flaccid, roughish on the edges 

 and the inner surface ; ligules lanceolate ; panicle dense, 

 somewhat drooping, zigzag, spikelets ovate-oblong, green 

 or tinged with purple, containing three florets, from one to 

 three on each branch of the panicle ; outer glumes acute, 

 equal or nearly so, ovate, webbed ; flowering glumes three- 

 ribbed, ribs hairy on the lower part ; palea shorter, with 

 green ribs at its edges. 



This plant is of a pale glaucous hue, the branches of 



its slight panicle are very 



slender, and it grows either 



in tufts or in a creeping 



manner. It is a native of 



the higher mountains in 



Scotland, having first been 



found by the lamented Mr. 



Mackay, who gathered it on 



Ben Nevis. It is perennial, 



and flowers in July. We 



do not know of any use, 



agricultural or industrial, 



for which it is adapted. 



P. lawa, var. fleamosa, 



Zigzag Meadow-grass, is distinguished by the branches 



of the panicle being zigzag or wavy ; it has very short 



leaves, and is often viviparous. 



P. lax a is found in Lapland, Germany, Switzerland, 



