126 



YELLOW OAT GRASS. 



The Yellow Oat Geass, (Avena flavescens), Fig. 105, 

 can scarcely, perhaps, be regarded as naturalized here. 



It is a perennial plant of slow 

 growth and • medium quality, 

 cultivated to some extent in 

 France, and suitable for dry 

 meadows and pastures. It is 

 sometimes regarded as a weed. 

 It fails, if cultivated alone, but 

 succeeds with other grasses, 

 and is said to be the- most 

 useful for fodder of any of the 

 oat grasses. It seems to grow 

 best with the crested dog's 

 tail and sweet-scented vernal. 

 It contains a larger proportion 

 of bitter extractive than most 

 other grasses, and for that rea- 

 son is recommended by some 

 English writers as a valuable 

 pasture grass. It flowers in 

 July. Fig. 106 represents the 

 flower of this grass magnified. 



PuEPLE Wild Oat {Avena 

 striata) is found on rocky, 

 shaded hillsides, 

 from New Eng- 

 land and New 

 York, northward. 

 Stems tufted, from 

 one to two feet 

 high, and slender ; 

 leaves narrow ; 

 panicle loose and 



Fig. 105. TeUow Oat Grass. Pig. 106. 



