562 GRAMINE/E 



large, i-flowered, much compressed laterally ; rachilla long, silky ; 

 glumes sub-equal, awnless ; flowering gluiije shorter, 5-nerved, with 

 a minute sub-terminal awn. (Name from the Greek amnios, sand, 

 philo, I love.) 



1. A. arendna (Sea Marram, Marram or Matgrass, Sea-reed). — 

 Rflol-slock creeping ; stems erect, stiff, 2 — 4 leet high ; leaves long, 

 stiff, erect, glaucous above, polished beluw, with very long, torn 

 ligules ; panicle cylindric, straw-coloured, 5 — 6 in. long, acute ; 

 glumes acute ; flmaering glume 3 times as long as the hairs. — Sand- 

 dunes ; frequent. Its value as a sand-binder cannot be overrated. 

 At the end of the i8th century a large .district near Moray Firth 

 was destroyed by drifting sand owing to' the wanton destruction of 

 Marram. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



2. A. be'dliea, distinguished by its vertical rool-sloek ; looser, 

 less cylindric, purplish /)a;MV/c ,• lanceolate, acuminate glumes ,• and 

 flowering glume twice as long as the, hairs ; occurs on Ross 

 Links and Holy Isle, Northumberland, — Fl. July — September. 

 Perennial. 



19. L;\r;i;RUS (Hare's-tail grass), of which L. ovciius is the only 

 species, is a very ornamental grass, with numerous, stout, ]iubes- 

 cent stems 6 — 12 in. high; short leavh hoary with soft down, 

 with rather swollen sheaths; and spikelels closely crowded into 

 an ovate, softly hairy, whitish head, i-^-iJ hi. long, the glumes 

 being densely clothed with soft hairs. — Sandy places in Guernsey. 

 (Name from the Greek logos, hare, on'ra, tail.) — P'l. June, July. 

 Annual. 



20. AIra (Mair-grass). — Spi/ielets 2Tflowered, laterally com- 

 pressed, in a loose panicle ; glumes nearly equal, not awned ; 

 flowering glume 2-fid, with a twisted dorsal awn from below the 

 middle ; ovary glabrous ; jriiit furrowed on the back. (Name, 

 the Greek name for some grass.) 



1. A. ceespitosa (Tufted Hair-grass). — Forming large dense tufts ; 

 stems 2 — 4 feet high ; leaves flat and rough ; panicle 6 — S in, long, 

 very elegant, with slender, spreading, rough branches ; spikeli^ts 

 } in. long, much compressed, silver-grey or purplish, 2-flowered ; 

 flowering glume with a short, fine, hair-like, straight, sub-basal awn. 

 — Moist places ; abundant, indicating tliat pasture requires under- 

 draining, — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



2. A. alpiita (.\lpine Hair-grass).— .Vn allied but smaller species, 

 6 — 12 in, high, with channelled involute leaves: closer panicle 

 with smooth firanchcs ; and a bent awn from above the middle of 

 the flem'O'ing glume —Wet rocks, Scotland and west o{ Ireland ; 

 rare. — kl, [une, [uly. Perennial. 



