﻿GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 27 



Flowers in the first week in July, and ripens its seed in the end 

 of August. 



15. Phalaris arundinacea.* 

 Reed Canary Grass. 



Specific Characters. — Panicle long and narrow. Base of floret 

 with two linear tufts of hairs. (Plate IX.) 



Description. — It grows from two to five feet high. The root is 

 perennial, creeping, with long horizontal shoots. Stem erect, round, 

 smooth ; bearing five or six leaves with smooth striated sheaths ; up- 

 per sheath much longer than its leaf, crowned with a long membra- 

 nous decurrent ligule ; the ligules on the lower sheaths more obtuse. 

 Joints smooth, of a darkish purple, especially the lower ones. Leaves 

 broad, of a light green, acute, harsh, flat, ribbed ; the central rib the 

 most prominent ; roughish on both surfaces, but more so behind ; the 

 edges minutely toothed. Inflorescence compound panicled. Panicle 

 erect, long, and narrow, at first close, afterwards more spreading ; the 

 rachis and branches very rough. Spikelets numerous, crowded, often 

 of a purplish tinge, sometimes white or pale green, occasionally of 

 rich shades of purple and yellow, with large dark anthers; of one awn- 

 less floret, [concealed within the calyx. Calyx of two nearly equal 

 acute glumes, (Fig. 1), three-ribbed; sides roughish, the keels mi- 

 nutely toothed, Floret of two palese, (Fig. 2), the outer palea acute, 

 roughish, hairy at the margins, furnished at the base with two linear 

 tufts of hairs about one-third the length of the palea, (outer corolla 

 of Schrader). Inner palea rather shorter than the outer palea, mem- 

 branous, glossy, with the margins of the upper part delicately fringed. 

 Obs. — A beautiful variety of this grass is sometimes cultivated in 

 gardens under the name of Painted Lady-grass or Ribbon-grass, 

 with the leaves elegantly striped with green and white, occasionally 

 with a purplish tinge. 



This grass produces a large and early crop, and will bear cutting 

 three times during the summer, but, from the coarseness of its foliage, 

 cattle are said not to be fond of it. It is best suited for tenacious clayey 



* Phalaris arundinacea, Linn. Smith, Hooker, Koch, Greville, 



