﻿GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 61 



the upper glume nine-ribbed ; the ribs conspicuous, of a greenish 

 colour. Florets of two palese (Fig. 2), the outer palea of lowermost 

 floret equal in length to the large glume, terminating in two straight 

 rough bristles ; six-ribbed, roughish to the touch, (sometimes hairy.) 

 Inner palea membranous, shorter than the outer palea, linear, acute, 

 the margins delicately fringed. The second floret elevated on a hairy 

 footstalk. Atari stout, rough, bent, arising a little below the centre 

 of the outer palea, and about twice the length of the palea. 



Obs. — Avena strigosa very much resembles the common cultivated 

 oat {Avena sativa) in its general appearance, but is readily distin- 

 guished from it as well as from Avena fatua, in the florets terminating 

 in two long straight bristles. 



In Scotland this grass is not unfrequent, especially in Inverness, 

 Aberdeen, Forfar, and Perthshires, generally in corn-fields and waste 

 places. In England it occurs in the counties of Durham, York, Den- 

 bigh, Notts, Anglesea, Sussex, and Cornwall. Confined principally 

 to the central parts of Europe ; not found in Italy, Lapland, or Ame- 

 rica. Its limit of altitude is about 1000 feet above the sea. 



Flowers in the first week of July, and ripens its seed in the middle 

 of August. 



42. Avena fatua.* 

 Wild-Oat 



Specific Characters. — Floret shorter than the calyx ; not bristled 

 at the summit. (Plate XXVII.) 



Description. — It grows to the height of three feet. The root is an- 

 nual, fibrous, thick at the base. Stem erect, round, smooth, and po- 

 lished ; bearing four or five leaves with smooth striated sheaths, 

 (sometimes the lower sheaths are hairy) ; upper sheath longer than 

 its leaf, crowned with an obtuse membranous ligule. Joints smooth. 

 Leaves flat, linear, finely ribbed, rough to the touch, occasionally 

 hairy. Inflorescence simple panicled. Panicle large, spreading ; the 

 rachis smooth, the branches rough. Spikelets large, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, drooping or pendulous, of two, occasionally three florets. 



* Avena fatua, Linn. Koch, Smith, Hooker Lindley. 



