THE GENERA AND THEIR SPECIES. 93 



short and auricled. Spike erect, stiff, unilateral; rachis wiry, 

 angular. Spikelets ovate, flat, alternate, unilateral, with pectinate 

 involucre of empty glumes, florets many. Rachilla flat at apex. 

 Glumes unequal, shorter than palea, linear, keel rough, pointed. 

 Outer palea opaque, ovate-lanceolate, rounded on back, keeled 

 on upper half, five-ribbed, yellowish, pointed, point curving to 

 one side ; inner palea transparent, edges lightly fringed. An- 

 thers purple. 



The sheep that feed on Dog's-tail seldom have foot-rot. It 

 is a good, but rather late, grazing grass, forming a dense turf 

 and satisfactory feed. When in flower it is a favourite with 

 cattle, sheep, and deer, but is valueless when the seed is ripe, and, 

 owing also to its wiry stems, not suitable for hay. Though it 

 thrives most on dry loams it is healthy everywhere ; on light, 

 chalky or gravelly ground it is used for giving a good " sole " 

 to the pasture ; and thanks to its deep roots it retains its vigour 

 and vitality when other species wither in the drought. 



76. C. echtnatus. Channel Islands ; ranging through Southern 

 and Western Europe. June to August. Root annual, fibrous, 

 downy. Stem ascending, striated, smooth, leafy, internodes short ; 

 nodes small. Leaves lanceolate, flaccid, ovate at base, flat, pro- 

 minently ridged, pointed, rough on both sides. Sheaths rather 

 tumid, furrowed ; ligule lanceolate, auricled. Spike erect, simple, 

 pyriform ; rachis wiry, angular. Spikelets ovate, alternate, uni- 

 lateral, with pectinate involucre of empty glumes ; florets two 

 to five. Glumes nearly equal, thin, keels rough, awned. Outer 

 palea ovate-lanceolate, five-ribbed, awned, awn as long as palea ; 

 inner palea lightly fringed. 



This species, which is fairly common on the Sandwich 

 meadows, is most useful to the farmer when it dies to prepare the 

 soil for a better grass. 



Dactylis. Plate xxiv. FESTUCEM. 



74. glomerata 36 in. Cock's-foot. Panicle with few branches 

 spikelets densely clustered. 

 Fields, pastures, orchards, and waste places throughout Europe 

 and Central Asia. June to August. Root perennial, fibrous, 



