620 GBAMiNE^. [Brachypodiuvi. 



Spikelets distichous, alternate, about 9 or 10 lines in length, mostly 4 or 5, occa- 

 sionally but 3, 01- in luxuriant specimens 7- or 8-flowered, somewhat remote, ahout 

 Jrds or Jths of their own length apart, the lowermost about their own length 

 asunder, those on the same side of the broad glabrous rachis leaving a consider- 

 able space of the latter naked between each spikelet (in T.repens the whole rachis 

 is covered by the imbricating spikelets from end to end), somewhat lax or patent 

 (not erect or appressed as in that), and, like the rest of the plant, of a pale glau- 

 cous or sea-green colour. Glumes cartilaginous, about fids ihe length of the 

 florets, concave, nearly equal, narrowly oblongo-elliptical (when flattened), obtuse 

 and rounded at apex, which is often oblique, entire or with a broad shallow notch, 

 many-ribbed, the ribs dark green, running the entire length of the glumes, but 

 from their inequality of breadth and position dilEcult to number with exactness, 

 being often wholly or partially divided, and then liable to be counted as two ; in 

 general they may be stated to be from 8 or 10 to 12; margins of the glumes 

 white, perfectly entire and glabrous. Palece elongato-elliptical, flattish and obtuse 

 with rounded points; outer, larger and lower glabrous, very distinctly 5-ribbed, 

 the ribs subequidistant, the two marginal ones green, double, the rest paler and 

 more slender; mner and smaller valve rather shorter, submembranaceous, the 

 margins folded flat inwards, with a fringe of fine hairs along the edges of the fold, 

 and a pair of strong green ribs near the latter on its inner side at some distance 

 from the broad, pellucid, slightly ciliated, true margin of the valve. Stamens 

 much exserted ; anthers very long and narrow, straw-yellow or violet. Styles dis- 

 tant, simple. Nectary of 2 distinct, ovoido-globose, pellucid lobes, very gibbous 

 at the back, produced into flat, ciliated, acute points. 



Dr. Parnell very justly observes that in this species the spikelets are not easily 

 detached without breaking the rachis ; whereas in T. repens they are so much less 

 firmly seated as to be easily separated without injury to the rachis. 



Our three British species of Triticmn are very obscurely defined in practice, 

 however clearly they may appear to be so in books. My own belief is that T.jun- 

 ceum is but a sea-side variety of T. repens,* while T. caninitmf is to all appear- 

 ance truly distinct from either. 



XXXI. Beachypodium, P. de Beauv. False Brome-grass. 



" Spikelets solitary, transverse to the rachis, alternate, remote, 

 linear, cylindrical-compressed, many-flowered. Glumes 2, oppo- 

 site, unequal, shorter than the contiguous lower floret. Glumellas 

 2, rounded on the back, 7-ribbed, setigerous or awned at the ex- 

 tremity ; inner one retuse, coarsely fringed on the ribs above." — 

 Br. Ft. 



A genus properly separated from both Bromus and Festuca, to which the pre- 

 sent is closely allied, by its sessile, nearly cylindrical, not compressed spikelets, 

 and in having the parts of fructification enclosed by the inflexed edges of the 

 inner valve of the corolla. In their leaves I he species have the broad hairy foli- 

 age of the true Bromi, but the awns of the florets are terminal as in Festuca, the 

 inner valve of the corolla being very obtuse or truncate, which is not the case in 



* T. aculum, DC, appears, from the description of the species given by Mer- 

 tens and Koch (' Deutschland's Flora,' i. p. 702), to be a connecting link between 

 our present plant and T. repens. T find a form on the sandy shore at Norton, 

 Freshwater, which I suspect to be that referred to by the same authors at p. 703, 

 and which they are in doubt whether to consider as a species or as merely a tran- 

 sition variety from T. jimceum to T. acutmn. Our plant is certainly more nearly 

 allied lo T. repens than to T.juncenm, and scarcely differs from the former, 

 except in its somewhat remote spikelets. 



f This species is not yet detected as an Isle-of-Wight plant, Edrs.] 



