﻿GRASSES OF SCOTLAND. 109 



perennial, fibrous, somewhat creeping. Stem erect, round, smooth 

 and striated, bearing five or six broad leaves, with striated and most- 

 ly smooth sheaths ; the upper sheath longer than its leaf, crowned 

 with a short, reddish brown decurrent ligule, embracing the stem 

 more on one side than on the other. Joints five, smooth, darkish ; 

 the first and second rather remote. Leaves lanceolate, flat, acute ; 

 the upper one smaller than those below ; scabrous towards the points ; 

 rough on both surfaces except at the base of the outer surface. In- 

 florescence simple or compound panicled ; the first three or four spike- 

 lets arising immediately from the rachis on short footstalks ; the lower 

 ones on lateral branches. Panicle large, loose, inclining to one side, 

 with the lower branches arising in pairs from the rough rachis. 

 Spikelets ovate-lanceolate, usually of five awned florets. Calyx of 

 two unequal acute glumes (Fig. 1 ) ; three-ribbed, smooth and mem- 

 branous at the margins. Florets of two palese (Fig. 2), the outer 

 palea of lowermost floret longer than the calyx, roughish to the touch, 

 membranous at the summit and often bifid ; Jive-ribbed, the dorsal 

 rib scabrous towards the upper part, and terminating in a long rough 

 awn longer than the palea, passing behind the membranous summit. 

 Inner palea equal in length to the outer palea, furnished with two 

 green marginal ribs minutely fringed. 



Obs. — Bucetum giganteum is distinguished from the genus Bromus 

 in the ligule being very short ; styles arising from the summit of the 

 ovarium ; — whereas in Bromus the ligule is prominent and the styles 

 arise from the side of the ovarium, (Fig. 6.) 



From Bucetum elatior, in the awn being longer than the palea;— 

 whereas in B. elatior it is not one-sixth the length of the palea. 



Bucetum giganteum is found in woods and damp shady places. 

 It is said to grow equally well when cultivated in open situations. 

 Horses and cows eat it, but give a preference to many other gras- 

 ses. The seeds are much sought after by small birds. The leaves, 

 although produced in great abundance, afford but little nourishment 

 to cattle. 



It is a frequent grass in Scotland, England, and Ireland ; also a 

 native of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France,, Switzer- 



