13 



ALOPECURUS BULBOSUS. 



LiNNiEUS. WiLLDENOW. HoOKBE AND AeNOTT. SmITH. KnAPP. 



Babington. Lindlby. Paenbll. Kunth. 



PLATE V. — A. 



The Bulbous Fox-tail Grass. 

 Alupecunts — Fox-tail. Bulhosus — Bulbous. 



A RARE British Grass, growing in wet salt marshes, and of 

 no use for agricultural purposes. 



In England found in the counties of Somerset, Sussex, 

 Gloucester, Suffolk, and Norfolk, most abundant near Yarmouth 

 and "Weymouth. In "Wales in Cardiff Marshes. Not in Scot- 

 land or Ireland. 



Abroad it is a native of France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, 

 Greece, Italy, Portugal, and the Mediterranean Islands. 



Panicle cylindrical and acuminate. Spikelets numerous, 

 crowded together, consisting of two glumes and one floret. 

 Glumes pointed, equal in length; keels and lateral ribs hairy, 

 separated' to the base. Floret slightly shorter than the glumes, 

 consisting of one palea, truncated, on either side with two green 

 ribs. Stigmas long and feathery. Anthers protruding. Styles 

 combined. Stems rising, but bent at the joints, smooth and 

 striated, having three or four leaves with striated smooth sheaths. 

 Joints distant from each other, four in number. Leaves somewhat 

 narrow, smooth underneath, upper surface rough. Inflorescence 

 from an inch to an inch and a half in length. Length from 

 four to fifteen inches. Eoot tuberous and perennial. 



Flowers in July, and ripens its seed at the end of August. 



The present species takes its name from its bulbous root. 



It differs from A. agrestis in having a smooth stem and 



E 



