292 BRITISH GRASSES. 



The racemed inflorescence, and two perfect flowers in 

 the spikelet, distinguish this from the next species. 



The herbage is produced early, and the plant thrives 

 well where it once becomes settled. In hilly districts it 

 is worth introducing into permanent pastures, especially 

 those on the borders of woods. 



Abroad it is found in Lapland, Norway, Sweden, 

 Denmark, Germany, France, and Italy. It flowers late 

 in May, and ripens its seed in July. 



2. Melica uniflora, Linn. Wood-Melick. 



Boot fibrous, perennial, creeping ; stems simple, slender, 

 erect, roughish on the upper part, twelve to eighteen inches 

 high; leaves long, flat, thin, bright-green, broadish, rough 

 at the back and edges ; sheaths rough, striated, with a few 

 white hairs on the upper part, the upper sheath shorter than 

 its leaf; ligule short, blunt, membranaceous, with a small 

 slender bristle projecting from one side, where the sheath 

 is closed opposite to the blade, after the manner of the 

 Sedge family; panicle simple, slightly drooping, of few 

 spikelets; the lower branches in pairs, rough, slender; 

 spikelets erect, ovate, containing one perfect and one im- 

 perfect floret ; outer glumes unequal, smooth, deeply tinged 

 with red-brown, the lower one the smaller ; flowering glumes 

 broad, blunt, smooth, seven-ribbed; palea broad, oval, shorter, 

 with green, fringed, marginal ribs ; the imperfect floret situ- 

 ated on a long smooth footstalk. 



The branches, panicle, erect spikelets, and single per- 

 fect florets are good specific distinctions. 



An elegant and showy grass attaining a height of from 

 one to two feet. The leaves are ribbon-like, arching 

 elegantly, and of a beautiful sunny green, which throws 

 out the deep ruddy-brown tint of the spikelets perfectly. 



