THE GENERA AND THEIR SPECIES. 



109 



fibres. Stem erect or ascending, much branched, bent at nodes, 

 tumid, smooth, slender. Leaves flat, narrow, linear, acute, 

 edges rather involute and 

 prickly. Sheaths long and 

 close; ligule short, obtuse, 

 jagged. Spike erect or curved, 

 long and narrow ; rachis notched. 

 Spikelets placed in the notches, 

 alternate, awnless, florets one or 

 two. Glumes nearly equal, occa- 

 sionally joined at base, flat, 

 lanceolate, thick, pointed, ribs 

 four, edges white and mem- 

 branous. Outer palea shorter 

 than glumes, narrow, thin, with 

 a green midrib ; inner palea 

 smaller than outer and ribless. 

 tinge. 



Lepturus incurvatus. 

 Spike let. For Floret see p. 



59« 



Anthers white, with a yellow 



Lolium. Plate xviii. HORDE/E. 



58. pcrenne 15 in. Rye Grass. Stem smooth above; 



sheath flat and smooth ; rachis rough ; 

 florets lanceolate. 



59. temulcnium 15 in. Darnel. Stem rough above; sheath 



round and rough ; rachis smooth : florets 

 tumid. 



$S. L. pevenne. Pastures and fields, thriving on clay soils 

 throughout Europe and Asia north of the Himalaya. June and 

 July. Root perennial, tufted, sometimes with leafy barren shoots, 

 fibres reaching fourteen inches in depth. Stems several, smooth, 

 bent at base, erect or ascending, oval, rigid, leafy ; nodes tumid 

 and purplish. Base of radical leaves flat and red underground, 

 leaves folded in bud, auricled, flat, narrow, parallel-sided more 

 than half-way, striated, dark green glossy beneath, keel prominent, 

 ribs on upper surface distinct and rounded. Sheaths smooth, 



