586 GRAMiNE^. [Agrostia. 



Best distinguished from our other common species by the extremely short and 

 Wunt ligule, the thin, light, airy panicle, the capillary branches of whose whorls 

 are lew, and spread equally in every direclion. The distant scattered Howurs and 

 generally upright stem will prevent its being confounded with A. alba. 



3. A. alia, L. Marsh Bent-grass. " Branches of the panicle 

 hispid its branchlets erect after flowering, glumes nearly equal, 

 outer one rough on the keel all over, outer glumella 5 -nerved, 

 ligule elongated acute."— Br. Fl. p. 524. E. B. t. 1189. 



In moist shady woods, meadows, ditches and wet cornfields ; very common. 

 Fl. July, August. 71- 



Known at first sight from A. vulgaris hy its larger and stouter habit; much 

 more numerous flowers, wliich are crowded on the panicle ; and on a closer inspec- 

 tion by the thickly-set branches of the whurls, which stand alternately in bundles 

 on opposite sides of the main stem; and, lastly, by the oblong and generally torn 

 ligule. 



4. A. setacea, Curt. Bristle-leaved Bent-grass. Vect. Rabbit- 

 grass. Deer's -foot -grass. Panicle oblong with short close 

 branches spreading only when in flower, outer palea with a long 

 bent awn from near the base, inner one very small with a tuft of 

 minute hairs at the bottom, leaves setaceous. Sm. E. Fl. i. p. 91. 

 Br. Fl. p. 523. Lind. Syn. p. 303. (Trichod. set.) E. B. xvii. t. 

 1188. Curt. Fl. Lond. fasc. 6, t. 12. Parn. Gr. t. 83. 



On dry turfy heaths, commons and high downs ; frequent, i^/. June, July. If. 



E Med. — All over Munsley hill, by Godshill, 1844. Abundant on Stapler's 

 heath and St. Gem-ge's down. On the beautiful wooded hill called Apse castle, 

 near Shankiin, plentifully. Abundant on the yet unenclosed spots on Boyal 

 heath. Youngwood's copse, and all over Bordwood, &c., abundantly, as also in 

 most dry, elevated and heathy spots throughout the island. Apse heath and Bleak 

 down, D. Turner, Esq. 



W.Med. — Heathy places about Kingston. About Colwell, Hill farm and 

 Freshwater, not unfrequent, Fl. Vect. [Furzy hill above Brixton, plentiful, A. 

 G. More, Esq., Edrs.] 



Root tufted, with long, pale, downy and somewhat woody fibres. Culms 12 — 

 18 inches high, erect or ascending, slender, smooth and striated. Radical leaves 

 numerous, not half the length of the culms, of a grayish or glaucous green, invo- 

 lute, capillaceo-setaceous, stifiish, those of the culm few, distant, a little broader, 

 with long smooth sheaths. Ligule rather short, torn. Panicle erect, close, 

 spreading a little only in fine weather,* taper-pointed, its branches in distant 

 half-whorled bundles, dividing in a somewhat ternate manner, rough and angular. 

 Glumes unequal, lanceolate, acute, purple and green, hollow, roughish at the 

 back ; outer one the larger and longer, with a single green dorsal rib ; inner with 

 a similar rib and two short lateral ones from the base. Palea much shorter than 

 the glumes, white, thin and membranous; outer one greatly larger than the inner, 

 with inflexed edges and 4-ribbed, the two middle ribs produced into short awns 

 at the truncate summit ; from the back of the valve just above the base proceeds a 

 long roughish awn, bent about the middle and much exserted beyond the glumes ; 

 inner palea very minute, oblong or ovate, flat, toothed or notched at its obtuse 

 summit, and having a minute tuft of hairs at the base. Anthers yellowish or pur- 

 ple, their lobes widely spreading after the pollen is discharged. Germen ovate ; 

 styles short. 



* The panicle, like that of CalamagrostisEpigejos, remains closed as well after 

 as before the flowering season, and indeed is but little expanded at any time, ex- 

 cepting in favourable states of the weather and at certain limes of the day, col- 

 lapsing even then on being gathered. 



