Schlerochloa.) gramine.e. 601 



reaching to the point, leaves usually convolute, root creeping." 

 —Br. Fl. p. 535. E. B. t. 1140. Sclerochloa, Und. 



0. Stem diffuse, almost prostrate; branches stronsly deflexed. Fl. Dan. xiii. 

 t. 2222?(P. distans). 



In moist pastures by the sea, and in salt-marshes. Fl. July— October. Tl. 



E.Med. — BTa.Am\r,B.T.W. 



W. Merf.— Shores of Yarmouth harbour above the mill. Plentiful in the salt- 

 marshes at Newtown, and very fine about the edges of the brine-pits, &c., 1842. 

 In abundance by Yarmouth, B. T. W. 



S. At the farthest extremity of St. Helens spit, on the beach near the inn. 

 This I gathered for P. distans, but Mr. Borrer regards it rather as a variety of 

 the present species. 



6. S. distans, L. Beflexed Meadow-grass. " Panicle spread- 

 ing, branches at length deflexed, spikelets linear of about 5 (3—6) 

 obtuse florets which are faintly 5 -nerved, the midrib not reaching 

 to the points, leaves mostly plane, stem decumbent at the base, 

 root^fibrous."— jBr. Fl. p. 535. E. B. t. 986. Host. Gram. Aust. 

 ii. 46, t. 63. 



Sandy pastures and waste ground, chiefly near the sea. Fl. July, August. , If. 



E. Med. — In the marsh-meadows behind the Dover, Ryde, abundantly. Along 

 the terrace-walk by the .shore at the bottom of Pelham fields. Rev. O. E' Smith .'.'.' 

 Near Sea View. [On the wall at, and about the mill at, St. Helens, plentifully, 

 A. G. More, Esq. On the new wall under Marina wood from Apley to St. Clair, 

 near Ryde, abundantly. Dr. Bell-Salter, Edrs.] 



W. Med. — Salt-marshes by Newtown, 1842. Between Yarmouth and Thor- 

 ley, in a wet spot at the eastern end of Stopler's copse, 1845. 



Root yellowish, fibrous or very slightly creeping. Culms several, leafy, slender, 

 obliquely ascending, spreading or decumbent and more or less geniculate at the 

 base, from a span to 12 or 15 inches long, round, smooth and shining. Leaves 

 short, pale green and somewhat glaucous, taper-pointed, deeply sulcato-striated 

 and scabrous on their upper side and along their margins with minute spinules 

 pointing forwards,* flat, especially the stem-leaves, those at the root usually invo- 

 lute, and all becoming so after being some time gathered ; their sheaths long, 

 smooth, spirally folding the stem, and slit the greater part of their length down- 

 wards. Ligule short, broad, very obtuse and almost truncate, entire or a little 

 torn (now and then bifid, Curt.) Panicle from 3 to 6 inches or more long, of 

 several distant half-whorled sets of angular, roughish, somewhat flexuose, slightly 

 compound branches, naked below, usually about five together in the lowermost 

 whorl or two, diminishing in length and number towards the apex of the panicle, 

 which thus appears pointed, their bases swollen and cartilaginous ; at first erect or 

 coarctale, but strongly and rigidly deflexed for the most part when in full flower. 

 Spikelets sublinear-oblong, 4- to 6- or 7- (mostly about 5-) flowered, pressed 

 against the branches, flattened, variegated with glaucous-green, white and purple 

 colours, sometimes all greenish. Calyx-glumes very unequal, membranous, ob- 

 tuse, hollow, minutely spinulose on the margin, glabrous; inner, upper and larger 

 3-ribbed, the two lateral ribs short; outer, lower and smaller glume single-ribbed, 

 about half the length of the inner. Florets very small, on smooth pedicels, rather 

 remote, elliptical, quickly falling away from the spikelets as in P. Borreri, hairy 

 at the base but not webbed. Inferior and outer palea ovate, deeply concave, very 

 obtuse, almost truncate, the summit membranous and unevenly notched, 5-ribbed, 

 the central rib reaching the summit, the rest still shorter ; superior and innerpalea 

 as long as the outer, obtuse or truncate, membianous and pellucid, with a strong 

 lateral green rib at its reduplicate margin, ciliate with a row of spinules pointing 



* Mr. W. Wilson, in ' Phytologist,' vol. i. p. 294, says the leaves of P. distans 

 have seven prominent rough ribs, of which P. maritima is destitute. 



4h 



