286 BRITISH GRASSES. 



inches high, but under cultivation they become much 

 taller. The bulbous roots, the enlarged stems, and the 

 broad glumes are the distinctive features of the species. 



It is not found in Scotland or Ireland, and prevails 

 chiefly on the eastern coast of England, about Yarmouth 

 and Lowestoft. 



Abroad it is found in France, Germany, Spain, Por- 

 tugal, Italy, Siberia, and North Africa. 



Genus XXXVI. CATABHOSA. CATAEROSE. 



Gen. Char. Spikelets containing only two florets, the 

 outer glumes broad, blunt at the summit, or indented. 



Catabrosa aquatica, Beauv. "Water Catabrose. 



(Aira aquatica, Eng. Bot.) 

 Root perennial, creeping, fibrous, the fibres often floating 

 in the water, long, white, glossy; stems procumbent or 

 floating at the base, often elongated, stout, ascending, cylin- 

 drical, smooth ; joints rooting ; leaves long, flat, broadly- 

 linear, blunt, smooth, flaccid, light green, the lower ones 

 often floating on the surface of the water; sheaths smooth, 

 striated, the upper one shorter than its leaf; ligule mem- 

 branaceous, blunt; panicle spreading, compound, erect; 

 branches numerous, smooth, placed in several half-whorls 

 along the rachis, of unequal lengths, and with secondary 

 branchlets, the lower ones becoming ultimately deflexed; 

 spikelets small, numerous, pendulous, containing two florets; 

 outer glumes unequal, blunt, membranaceous, roughish on 

 the keels and sides, the outermost short and small, the 

 inner larger, broad, and blunt ; the flowering glumes three- 

 ribbed, squarely blunt and notched at the summit, smooth 

 at the keel, with two plain marginal ribs; paleae rather 

 smaller, narrower in proportion, notched at the summit, and 

 with two plain marginal ribs. 



