48 



shapedj whitish tinged with purple, translucent, articulated to the 

 broad summit of the lower, and surrounded at the base by the 

 ring of bristles, as seen in our magnified figure. 



Perennial, Flowers in June and July. 



An elegant little grass, when the panicle expands in full flower. 

 Interesting to the botanist on account of the peculiar character of 

 the awn ; but of no value to the cultivatbr, — a consequence rather 

 of the scanty foliage than of its being ungrateful to cattle, as I 

 have seen it eaten down in its natural habitats both by cows and 

 sheep. 



Genus 19. MOLINIA. 



Gen. Char. Inflorescence paniculate, contracted or spreading. 

 Spikelets stalked, one- to three- or more-flo-C?ered. Glumes 

 two, unequal, acute, one-veined, shorter than the contiguous 

 flowers. Paleae two ; the lower one entire, smooth, rounded 

 on the back, eventually hardening around the upper one and 

 enclosing it with the fruit. 



Originally confounded with the following genus, Melica, from 

 the general character of which, however, our solitary British species 

 differs considerably. The number of perfect flowers in each spikelet 

 varies from one to five or six, and, even with the latter number, the 

 rudiments of one or two others may sometimes be traced ; showing a 

 tendency to super-development that in some instances completely 

 alters the aspect of the plant. Named in commemoration of 

 Giovanni Ignatio Molina, the author of the ' Natural History of 

 Chih,' published in 1782. 



MoLiNiA CjERULBA. Lavender Grass. Plate XLII. 



Panicle erect, more or less contracted. Spikelets erect, cylin- 

 drical. Outer palea three- or, sometimes, five-veined. 



Molinia cserulea, Mcmch. Lindley. Most modern British botanists. 

 Melica cserulea, Linnaus. E. B. 750; ed. 2. 117. Aira, 

 Hudson. 



Frequent on moors and wet heaths, where its numerous slender, 

 bluish-purple panicles render it very conspicuous during the 

 flowering season. It forms dense tufts, which often present an 

 almost bulbous appearance at the base, especially when growing 

 about the borders of pools or in bogs, owing to the bottoms of the 

 last year's leaves becoming persistent and of a fleshy texture ; on 

 drier ground this peculiarity is less markfed. Leaves long, narrow, 

 linear-acuminate, flat, usually having a glaucous hue. Stems 

 slender, wiry, from six inches to two feet high ; leafless at the 

 upper part, owing to the absence of nodes or joints, of which there 



