THE GENERA AND THEIR SPECIES. 131 



89. P. trivialis. Meadows and pastures of the Northern 

 Hemisphere. June and July. Root perennial, not stoloniferous, 

 fibrous, tufted, attaining fourteen inches in depth. Stem rough, 

 erect, slender. Leaves folded in bud, radical leaves long, stem 

 leaves short, flat, thin, rough, tapering from base, ribless, with 

 median lines, keeled and glossy below. Sheaths angular, 

 rough upwards, as long as leaf, uppermost longer than leaf ; 

 ligule of lower leaves blunt, of upper leaves long and pointed. 

 Panicle pyramidal, spreading, large, loose, branches rough and 

 slender. Spikelets ovate, compressed, florets two or three, 

 webbed. Glumes nearly equal, lanceolate, ribbed, webbed. 

 Outer palea acute, keeled, ribs five, of which the midrib is hairy 

 below ; inner palea short, fringed, edged with green. 



This is said to be the Orcheston Grass described as growing at 

 Maddington, in Wiltshire, twenty feel long ; its average height is 

 just as many inches. It is a valuable agricultural grass, prevalent 

 in all good pastures with rich, retentive soils, satisfactory to all 

 sorts of cattle, yielding hay of high quality, and, after early 

 cutting, an excellent aftermath. It thrives under trees and in all 

 moist places, and grows rapidly in warm weather, but does not 

 like frost. It yields a fine close turf, and is abundant on most 

 lawns, but is best when mixed with other grasses. It is the 

 commonest grass in the mountainous districts of Europe. 



90. P. nemoralis. Woods and shady places, ranging through 

 Europe and Russian Asia. July and August. Root perennial, 

 slightly creeping, but not stoloniferous, reaching to fifteen inches 

 in depth. Stem erect, slender, smooth, flatfish ; uppermost 

 node half-way up stem, black. Leaves folded in bud, thin, 

 tapering, narrow, apex acute, rough above and on edges, ribless 

 with median lines. Sheaths round, smooth, close, uppermost 

 no longer than leaf ; ligule very short and blunt or absent. 

 Panicle slender, somewhat diffuse, turning to one side, branches 

 filiform, rough, angular. Spikelets lanceolate, compressed, 

 webbed, florets two or more. Glumes nearly equal, webbed, 

 ribs three. Outer palea larger than glumes, lanceolate, tapering, 

 ribs five, three hairy ; inner palea slightly fringed, 



