TRIODIA. 



293 



It is much more frequent than the last species, abound- 

 ing in groves and bushy places, in hilly districts all over 

 England and Ireland, and 

 in parts of Scotland. It 

 has no agricultural proper- 

 ties, but cattle eat its herb- 

 age readily. 



It flowers in June, and 

 ripens its seed in July. 



Like the last species, its 

 stem becomes much more 

 rigid after the flowers have 

 gone off, and though its 

 bright- coloured glumes con- 

 tinue to adorn its panicle, 

 the added stiffness takes 

 away its beauty. 



Abroad it is found in Ger- 

 many, France, and Italy. It is not known in America. 



Genus XXXIX. TRIODIA, 



Gen. Char. Spikelets several-flowered ; outer glumes 

 nearly equal ; flowering glume with three nearly equal teeth 

 at the top ; scales two. 



Triodia decumbens, Beauv. Decumbent Triodia, 



(Poa, Eng. Bot.) 

 Root perennial, creeping, fibrous; stems smooth, round, 

 striated, from six inches to a foot long ; leaves narrow, 

 linear, smooth, but rough towards the point ; sheaths hairy, 

 the upper one shorter than its leaf, no ligule but a tuft of 

 hairs instead ; panicle spike-like ; spikelets few, large, con- 

 taining three or four florets on smooth branchlets; outer 



