232 



mSTOEY OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



Ray or Rye Grass. 



son, though not with the same vigour. In the 

 dry soila of Scotland this grass affords tlie sweet- 

 est of our early pastures, especially in fields in 

 which it has been recently sown ; and if eaten 

 down close and eveUyit rises again repeatedly, to 

 be again consumed in the same season. If it is 

 permitted, however, to rise into ilower stalks, 

 and especially if these are permitted to stand tiU 

 they whiten, it is in that state disliked, as most 

 of the other grasses in a similar state are, by 

 every grazing animal. In this country, sheep, 

 horses, and cattle, relish it much before the stalks 

 have seeded. For post and work horses it makes 

 the best and most substantial hay, and is par- 

 ticularly adapted for intermixture with clover 

 crops. There are three species of this plant: 

 lolium perenne, perennial rye grass or red darnel ; 

 loKvmi tremulentum, annual rye grass or bearded 

 darnel ; lolium arvense, annual white or beardless 

 darnel. The perennial rye grass is characterised 

 by being less tall in the stalk than the others ; 

 but the roots are larger and send up more stalks, 

 tlie spike has no awn, there are fewer flowers, 

 and those are more tapering and pointed at the 

 extremities. It also flowers earlier than the an- 

 nual plant. The white beardless darnel resem- 

 bles the lolium tremulentum, only it has no awns, 

 is of less dimensions, and feels smooth along the 

 stalk and spine ; but from these characters it may 

 possibly be mistaken for the perennial plant. 

 The reddish colour of perennial rye grass, ample 

 stalks, and large roots, are the readiest marks to 

 the fanner's eye. The distinctive marks in the flo- 

 ral organs between the I. perenne and I. tremulen- 

 tum are, that the spicules in the first are longer 

 than the calyx, and the flowers beardless; where- 

 as, in the second, the spicules are only of equal 

 lengih with the calyx, and the flowers have short 

 beards. The seed of the perennial is character- 

 ised by a reddish colour ; if fresh, a sweet smeU, 

 a small size of body, not swelling much in the 

 middle, but of considerable weight, and no ap- 

 pearance of awn or beard. The annual species 

 is much less suited to the general purposes of the 

 agriculturist, although it is said by some to yield 

 the heaviest crop of hay. 



Water Meadow Grass (poa aquatica). This 

 grass grows naturally in standing waters, or land 

 that is periodically overflown. Accordingly, in 

 flat countries, which do not admit of being suffi- 

 ciently drained, it is almost the 'only grass for 

 hay and pasturage. 



Dwarf Meadow Grass (poa annua). A grass 

 common to every quarter of the globe where cold 

 does not prevent it, perpetually flowering and 

 seeding, and that most rapidly ; growing in al- 

 most any soil and situation ; varying in size, but 

 never acquiring any great height ; its foliage ten- 

 der and grateful to cattle ; but liable to be killed 

 by winter's frost and summer's drought ; hence 

 frequent in the edges of paths, where its seeds 

 being scattered, quickly vegetate, and where it 

 is not overpowered by more luxuriant herbage. 



Creeping bent Grass, or florin Grass (agrostis 

 stolonifera) . This grass is characterized by long 

 strings, with lively green sprouts issuing from 

 them at right angles, at a few inches distant 

 from each other. The strings vary in length, 

 from one to ten feet, in summer always green. 

 Sometimes part of these have a dull blood-red 

 shade, whence probably the grass got the name 

 of red robin. Most of the strings whiten in vrin- 

 ter, when not covered \ip by their own mat, or 

 by water, when they preserve their green co- 

 lour, the whiteness being confined to the enve- 

 lope. Fiorin has scarcely any root, the slightest 

 catch of the earth being sufficient for its exist- 

 ence and nourishment. It is indifferent to the 

 extremes of wet or drought, though most luxuri- 

 ant with an ample allowance of moisture ; nei- 

 ther is it influenced by high or low ground, or 

 extremes of heat or cold. There is no soil so 

 dry or poor, or no situation so excluded from 

 sun and air, but where it will find a lodgment, 

 and grow and flourish. This grass is never pro- 

 pagated by seeds, which are small and slow of 

 growth. It is planted by laying down the strings. 

 These strings, laid on a bare surface, any time 

 from the 10th September to 1st April, and 

 lightly sprinkled with earth or compost, so as 

 nearly to cover them, will soon vegetate, and in 

 a short time clothe the surface with a uniform 

 verdure. It is reputed to produce from five to 

 ten tons of good hay per acre. 



The natural families Ct/peracece and Junci, con- 

 tain plants nearly allied to the grasses ; suoli are 

 the reeds and rushes, a few of which we shall 

 enumerate. 



The Papyrus (cyperus papyrus ), is an aquatic 

 plant, with large tortuous roots, a triangular 

 stem, from fifteen to twenty feet in height, gra- 

 dually tapering to the top, surmounted by a tuft 

 of fine fibrous filaments, which subdivide into 

 stUl smaller, on which are the small seedy 

 flowerets. This plant is celebrated as that which 

 yielded the paper of the ancients, which was 

 made from the inner bark of the stem. This 



