GRASS FAMILY 



565 



I. //. mollis (Creeping Soft-grass). — Rooi-ilork creeping; slenis 

 about a foot high, hairy at the nodes, slender ; leaves rough, with 

 smooth sheaths; panuie 2 — 3 in. long, rather loose, whitish; 



upper 

 soil ; 



upper glumes acute ; the awn of the flmecriiig glume of the 

 flower rough, projecting be)on(l the glumes. — On light 

 abundant. — Fl. Jul)', August. Perennial. 



-'. H. laiidlus (Yorkshire Fog, ^ifeadow Soft- 

 grass). — A similar plant, tufied, i — 2 feet high, 

 the whole plant clothed with a very short down, 

 giving it a pale soft appearance ; panicle pale 

 whitish or reddish : upper glumes blunt ; awii 

 smooth, except at the tip, not projecting.^- 

 Meadows ; abundant. — FI. July, ^\ugust. 

 Perennial. 



23. Trisetum, of which T. flavescens {YttWow 

 Oat) is the only British species, has erect, 

 smooth stems, i — 2 feet high, with runnerS:; 

 radical leaves flat and hairy, with blunt ligulej ; 

 panicle with slender, spreading branches ; spike- 

 /?/i-numerous, shining, yellowish, 3 — 4-ffowere5; 

 glumes very unequal ; fiowering glumes with two 

 awned points and a short, twisted, bent, dorsal 

 awn between them. — Dry pastures ; common. 

 (Name from the Latin /;■;, three, seta, bristle.) — 

 Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



24. AvEx.v (Oat). — A genus closely allied to 

 the preceding, with panicles of large, 2- or 

 more-flowered spikelets ; glumes sub-equal : 

 ■flowering glume 2-fid, with a long, twisted, bent, 

 terminal awn : ovary hairy at the top ; jruit 

 adherent to the glume. (Name, the Classical 

 Latin name for the Oat.) 



1. A. pubesceus (Downy Oat). — Stem creeping 

 below, I — 2 feet high ; radical leaves short, 

 downy, with acute ligules ; panicle nearly 

 simple, lower branches in fives, bearing 2 — 4 sub-erect spikelets. — 

 Dry or chalky pastures ; common. — FI. June. July. Perennial. 



2. A. pratensis (Narrow-leaved Perennial Oat). — A nearly allied 

 species, with runners ; stems rough, erect, 14-3 feet high ; leaves 

 smooth, glaucous, with ovate, acute ligulesv; panicle racemose; 

 spikelets erect, pale, shining, I — fin. long,_ 3 — 4-flowered ; awn 

 twice as long as the flowering glume. — Dry p'astures ; frequent. — 

 Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



(3V.'Aia' Oat:. 



