ch. vn] Botanical Description of Species 



83 



on lower half, and acutely pointed. Both sheaths and blades are 

 softly downy or pubescent. Ligule white, conspicuous, deeply 

 toothed or ragged. Auricles absent. Abundant in Britain. 



Flowers about May and June. Panicles loose, open and 

 drooping, from 6 inches to nearly a foot long. Spikelets large, 

 linear-lanceolate, 5-12 flowered. Empty glumes unequal, acute; 

 the upper one three-nerved. 



Fig. 74 Fig. 75 



Fig. 74. "Seed" of Bromus sterilis, L. x5. The barbed .awn if fully shown 



would much exceed the length of the outer palea. 



Fig. 75. "Seed" of Bromus erectus, L. x5. Side and back views. 



"Seed." Narrow linear-lanceolate in form, tapering at both 

 ends and often slightly "bowed." Outer palea from 14 to nearly 

 20 mm. in length, free from hairs but scabrid (rough) ; bifid at 

 apex, seven-nerved, the dorsal nerve prolonged into a fine, rough, 

 sub-terminal awn, usually longer than the palea. Inner palea 



6—2 



