GRASS FAMILY 583 



11. F.eldtior (Sea Fescue) is a closely allied species, forming 

 large tufts, with stems 3 — 6 feel high, and a ■panicle, the branches 

 of which are in pairs, spread outwards both in flower and fruit, 

 and each bears 2 or more 5 — 6-flowered spikele/s. — Banks near 

 the sea ; common. — Fl. June, July. Perennial. 



12, F. gigdniea (Giant Fescue). — A gla-brous plant, 3 — 4 feet 

 high ; leaves very long, broad, flaccid, bright green, rough above, 

 with smooth sheaths ; panicle loose, with long, drooping branches 

 in pairs and rough, 3 angled rachis ; spfkelets ^ in. long, 3 — 6- 

 fJowered, with slender, flexuous awn twice as long. — Shady places : 

 common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



41. Bromcs (Brome-grass). — Leaf-shealh generally split half- 

 way down ; spikeleis panicled or racemed, many-flowered ; lu'cer 

 empty glume i -veined, upper 3 — 5-veined ; flowerijig glume 

 rounded at the back, with a long dorsal awn ; styles below the 

 hairy top of the ovary. (Xame from: the Greek bromos, 

 oats.) 



1. B. ramosus (Rough or Hairy Bronie). — 2 — 6 feet high; 

 leaves long, flat, with scattered reflexed tiairs on the sheaths ; 

 panicle loose, with long, slender branches, 2 — 6 together, droop- 

 ing to one side ; spikeleis glaucous, linea/-lanceolate, above an 

 inch long, 5 — lo-flowered : flowering glume hairy, 5 — 7-ribbed, 

 with a straight, fine awn half as long as Jtself.-— Damp woods ; 

 common. — Fl. July, August. Annual or Perennial. 



2. B. erectus (Upright Bronie). — An erect plant, 2 — 3 feet high ; 

 leaves narrow, almost subulate; sheaths hairv, with ascending 

 hairs : panicle compact and erect, 3 — 5 in. long ; spikele/s i — i-l in. 

 long, 6- or more-flowered, linear-lanceolate.^ floiLerir.g glume hairv, 

 indistinctly 7-ribbed, t\\ice as long as the awn. — Sandy fields ; 

 common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



3. B. madritensis (Compact Brome). — Ste'm erect, seldom above a 

 foot high, smooth, leafy ; leaves narrow, flat, hairv ; panicle erect, 

 2 — 4 m. long, with few. erect, adpressed branches and rough 

 rachis and pedicels ; spikeleis linear-lanceolate ; flou'ering glume 

 7-ribbed, with an awn as long as itself; .j/a//;f/7.s usually two. — 

 Dry places in the south; rare. — Fl. June, July. Annual. 



4.* B. tectorum, an introduced plant, occurring as a casual in 

 cornfields, is closely allied to the preceding, but has a panicle 

 drooping to cne side and the pale much shorter than the flowering 

 glume. 



5. B. rigidus (Great Brome). — A beautiful grass, 1 — 2 feet high, 

 pubescent ; panicle erect, lax, ultimately drooping, slightly 

 branched, 4 — 7 in. long ; spikeleis with their awns 2 — 3 in. long, 



