108 



Botanical Section 



[PT I 



of the lower flower may separate both from the glumes and the 

 upper flower. The outer palea of the ripe "seed" is almost trans- 

 parent, shining, and about 2 mm. long. (Fig. 114.) 

 Holcus mollis, L. (Creeping Soft-grass.) (Fig. 115.) 

 A perennial, very closely allied to H. lanatus, and flowering 

 about the same time. It is however less common, and occurs 



Fig. 113. Panicles of Holcus lanatus showing the position of the branches and 

 spikelets at the pre-flowering and full-flowering stages. About J nat. size. 



chieflv in moist shady situations. It is distinctly stoloniferous, 

 with slender and decumbent creeping stems rooting at the nodes. 

 Its foliage is less softly hairy than H. lanatus, and the flowering 

 culms are more slender and have reflexed hairs at the nodes. The 

 upper flower of the spikelet is occasionally perfect and fertile. In 

 addition to the above differences it may be distinguished from 



