THE GENERA AND THEIR SPECIES. 



101 



Gastridium. Plate x. AGROSTIDEJE. 



30. lendigerurn 18 in. Nit Grass. Spike pale green and silvery. 



Waysides, fields, and woods, ranging through the Medi- 

 terranean and Western Europe, but somewhat local. June to 

 October. Root annual, tufted, 

 fibres whitish. Stem erect, smooth, 

 leafy, glossy ; nodes three, con- 

 cealed by sheaths. Leaves flat, 

 acute, rough on ribs and edges, 

 pale green. Sheaths rather tumid, 

 uppermost longer than leaf ; ligule 

 oblong, white, torn. Spike fusi- 

 form, branches half - whorled in 

 threes or fours, pale green. Spike- 

 lets erect, crowded, numerous, one 

 floret. Inner glume the larger, 

 lanceolate, pointed, smooth, tumid 

 at base, shining, keel green and toothed. Outer palea one-third 

 as long as outer glume, jagged at apex, five ribs ; inner palea 

 shorter than outer, notched at apex, awned. Anthers purple. 



Gastridium lendigerurn. 

 Spikelet. For Floret see p. 46. 



Hierochloe. Plate iv. PHALARIDEM. 



g.borealis 18 in. Northern Holy Grass. Only two 



stamens in the one perfect floret, but 

 three in each of the two imperfect florets 

 below it. 



Scotland, but ranging throughout the north of the Northern 

 Hemisphere. May and June. Root perennial, creeping widely. 

 Stem erect, round and smooth. Leaves tapering at base, lanceo- 

 late, flat and netted, rough above. Sheath short and netted ; 

 ligule membranous, rounded. Panicle spreading, drooping 

 above, purplish. Spikelets ovate, brown, glossy, terminal floret 

 perfect, others male only. Glumes four, nearly equal, broad, 



