46 CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO [CH. 



on downs and dry chalk-soils. Several varieties are recog- 

 nised by agriculturists, as hard, red, various-leafed, fine- 

 leafed Fescue, &c. (see Figs. 13 and 18). 



Festuca Myurus, L. (Rat's-tail Fescue). Annual, longer 

 auricles, and hair on the ribbed inroUed surface. A road- 

 side weed. 



Festuca ovina presents difficulties with its varieties and with 

 -f. Mywras, L. (var. sciuroides. Roth.). 



The chief varieties of i^. ovina are Hard Fescue {P. duriusGula, L.), 

 taller and with some of the upper leaves flat, and found in moister 

 and rich soils : Red Fescue {F. sabulicola, Duf. or F. rubra, L.) more 

 or less creeping and with red sheaths to the lower leaves, on poor 

 stony land — F. heterophylla is a form of this on chalky soils, with 

 flat leaves above : and F. tenuifolia a very wiry form on sheep- 

 lands. They aU pass into one another, however, and cannot be 

 distinguished by the leaves (see Figs. 18 — 20). 



F. Myurus (var. sciuroides) is ruderal and annual, and has longer 

 hairs on the ridges of the folded leaves. It has no agricultiu-al value. 

 (2) Ligule membranous, not auricled. 



(a) Bristle-like (setaceous) leaves, very hard and stiff, and 

 more or less solid. 



Nardus stricta, L. (Moor Mat-grass). Roots very tough 

 and stringy : ligule small, but thick and blunt. Leaves 

 channelled: upper erect, lower horizontal. Sheath smooth. 

 Moors and sandy heaths : useless (Figs. 2 and 26). 



Aira flearuosa, L. (Wavy Hair-gi-ass). Roots fibrous. 



Leaves short, filiform, terete, solid — the channel hardly 



discernible. Ligule short, obtuse. Heaths, &c. Of little 



use, even for sheep (Fig. 28). 



(/3) Leaves bristle-like, but distinctly/ due to inroUing of 

 edges. 



Aira caryophyllea, L. (Silvery Hair-grass), is scabrid. 

 A weed, with very slight foliage. 



