IN EXTKA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 89 



to depasturing, and gives two or three crops of hay annually ; 

 it is, however, not so much relished by animals as many other 

 grasses. 



Avena fatua, Linne. 



Wild Oat. Europe, North Africa, North and Middle Asia, 

 eastward as far as Japan. The experiments of Professor 

 Buckman indicate that our ordinary Culture Oat (Avena 

 sativaj L.) is descended from this plant. 



Avena flavescens, Linn6. {Trisetum flavescens, Beauv.) 



Yellowish Oat-Grass. Europe, North Africa, Middle and 

 North Asia, eastward as far as Japan. One of the best of 

 perennial meadow-grasses, living on dry soil ; fitted also for our 

 Alps. Lawson observes that it yields a considerable bulk of 

 fine foliage, and that it is eagerly sought by sheep, but that it 

 thrives best intermixed with other grasses. It likes particu- 

 larly limestone soil, where it forms a most valuable under- 

 grass, but is not adapted for poor sand, nor will it stand well 

 the traversing of grazing animals (Langethal). 



Avena pratensis, Linne. 



Meadow Oat-G-rass. Europe, North Asia. It thrives w6ll on 

 dry, clayey soil ; it produces a sweet fodder, but not in so 

 great a proportion as several other less nutritious grasses. It is 

 perennial, and well adapted for our snowy mountains, where it 

 would readily 'establish itself, even on heathy moors. Re- 

 commended by Langethal for arid ground, particularly such 

 as contains some lime, being thus as valuable as Pestuca 

 ovina. Eligible also for meadows under a system of irriga- 

 tion, 



Avena pubescens, Linne. 



Downy Oat-Grass. Europe, North and Middle Asia. A 

 sweet perennial grass> requiring dry but good soil, containing 

 lime. It is nutritious and prolific. One of the earliest kinds/ 

 but not well resisting trafiic. Several good Oat-grasses are 

 peculiar to North America and other parts of the globe; Their 

 relative value as fodder-grasses is in many cases not exactly 

 known, nor does the limit assigned to this treatise allow of 

 their being enumerated on this occasion. 



'^o 



Averrhoa Cafambola, Linne. 



Continental and Insular India. Sir Jos. Hooker found this small 

 tree on the Upper Indus as far as Lahore, The fruit occurs 



