26 PHLEUM PRATENSE. 



Panicle upright, compact, and cylindrical, green and white; 

 length varying from two to five inches. Spikelets diminutive, 

 abundant, arranged in pairs all round the rachis on brief foot- 

 stalks, having one slightly-awned floret considerably shorter 

 than the calyx. Calyx consisting of two equal-sized glumes, 

 having 9. broad membranous margin, keels furnished with short 

 stout white hairs. Palea, outer one five-ribbed, egg-shaped, 

 apex jagged, keel hairy. Floret consisting of two palese, which 

 are membranous. Stem circular, smooth, upright, bearing four 

 or five leaves. Sheaths smooth, the uppermost one longer than 

 its leaf, having a membranous ligule. Joints smooth. Leaves 

 rough, flat, broadish, acute. Inflorescence simple, panicled. 

 Length eighteen to twenty-four inches. Root creeping, some- 

 what bulbous, perennial. 



Flowers in the third week in June, and ripens seed at the 

 end of July. 



In A. alpinus the glumes are a third longer than their awns, 

 in P. jpratense about twice the length. 



In P. arenarium glumes acute and not awned, in P. pra- 

 tense blunt and awned. In P- arenarium floret one-third 

 of the length of the calyx, whilst in P. pratense about half 

 the length of the calyx. 



P. Michelii has longer spikelets, acute glumes, and not awned. 

 P. pratense, var. longiaristatum, Parnell, (the Long-awned 

 Timothy Grass,) found in a damp wood near Edinburgh, dif- 

 fers from the normal form by the awns of the glumes being 

 almost as long as the glumes, and the root being bulbous. It 

 does not flower till August. 



p. Jpratense, var. longiciliahcm, Parnell, (The Bulbous Timothy 

 Grass.) Stem near base prostrate, joints bent, awns of glumes 

 short, root bulbous. Found in sandy situations. Flowering 

 in the end of July. 



Fine specimens have been forwarded both by Dr. Wilson, 

 of Nottingham, and Mr. Sidebotham, of Manchester. 



The illustration is from Dr. Wilson's specimen. 



