﻿GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 59 



smooth, occasionally hairy. Leaves flat, narrow, acute, harsh, rough - 

 ish on both surfaces, but more so on the inner surface. Inflorescence 

 simple panicled. Panicle leaning slightly to one side ; the branches 

 rather short and rough, the lower ones arising from the rachis mostly 

 in fives. Spikelets rather large, erect, mostly on long footstalks, of 

 Vo awned florets. Calyx of two very unequal acute membranous 

 glumes, (Fig. 1); the upper one the larger, three-ribbed, roughish 

 along the central rib ; the lower glume without lateral ribs 3 and about 

 one-half the size of the upper glume. Florets of two palece, (Fig. 2), 

 the outer palea of lowermost floret about the length of the calyx, acute 

 roughish, seven-ribbed, the central rib roughish, hairy at the base, fur- 

 nished with a long slender awn, longer than the palea, and arising 

 from a little above the base. Inner palea membranous, linear, acute, 

 minutely fringed at the margins. Second floret elevated on a short 

 hairy pedicle, furnished with a very short awn, arising from a little 

 beneath the apex of the outer palea ; the floret in every other respect 

 is the same as the lower one. 



bulbosum, (Plate XXVI.) a common variety with bul- 

 bous or knotty roots, found in rich cultivated fields, also on light dry 

 soils. 



Obs. — Arrhenatherum avenaceum is readily distinguished from other 

 grasses, by having two florets, the lower floret with a long awn aris- 

 ing from a little above the base of the outer palea, the second floret 

 with a very short awn arising immediately from a little beneath the 

 apex. (See Fig. 2). 



This grass produces a plentiful and early supply of foliage, and is 

 valuable either for hay or pasture, but its agricultural merits in 

 this country are as yet but little known. On the continent it is highly 

 prized, and eaten with avidity by all kinds of cattle, although it is 

 said to be unpalatable to horses. It is found growing in woods and 

 pastures, and is frequently a troublesome weed in corn-fields. Its 

 produce is said to be greater on a clayey than on a heathy soil, in the 

 proportion of 25 to 8. 



It is frequent in Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, France, 

 Italy, and the United States, but does not exist in Lapland or the 



