ch. vn] Botanical Description of Species 



65 



Flowers usually in June; culms 2-4 feet high. Panicle large, 

 6-10 inches long, leaning slightly towards one side; the branches 

 keep close to the main axis at first but spread at time of flowering. 

 Spikelets 8-10 mm. long, containing two flowers, the upper one 

 hermaphrodite, the lower one staminate. Empty glumes very 



Fig. 47. Alopecurus agrestis. About \ nat. size. 



unequal, membranous, and acute ; the upper and larger glume is 

 three-nerved, and often of a purple colour; the lower glume 

 has a dorsal nerve only. The " seeds " of this species are often 

 " sooted " or " smutted " owing to the attacks of Vstilago perennans, 

 one of the "smut" fungi. 



The "seeds''' consist of the spikelets minus the empty glumes; 



A. 5 



