81 



moisture. The same experimentalist ascertained that its produce is 

 always much greater when combined with other grasses, than when 

 cultivated by itself ; and that, with a proper admixture of the latter, it 

 becomes nearly doubled, though on the same soil, so much does it 

 delight in shelter. He adds, that this grass should be cut for hay 

 when in seed, as the loss sustained by taking the crop at the time of 

 flowering exceeds one-fourth of its value. Loudon mentions P. trivialis 

 as being well adapted for forming grass plots in towns, and in con- 

 fined situations generally, remarking, that this and P. annua are almost 

 the only species of grass that will flourish under the circumstances ; 

 a fact that an examination of the turf in most of the old London 

 squares tends to corroborate. 



***** Hoot stoloniferous (sending out creeping shoots or stolones). 



PoA PRATBNSis. Smooth Meadow Grass. Plate LXV 



Panicle erect, widely spreading. Spikelets oblong-ovate, three- or 

 four-flowered ; flowers acute, more or less copiously webbed. Lower 

 palea five-veined; the dorsal and marginal veins hairy. Uppermost 

 sheath much longer than its leaf. Ligule obtuse. Stem and leaves 

 smooth. 



Poa pratensis, Linmeus. E. B. 1073 ; ed. 2. 130*. Generally adopted. 



No species is more common ; but it seems to prefer lighter and 

 drier soils than P. trivialis, which, however, it frequently accompanies. 

 Being less afi'ected by deficiency of moisture than the latter, it has a 

 wider distribution, and has hence a much greater tendency to assume 

 that diversity of size and aspect necessary to constitute varieties. The 

 creeping or stoloniferous habit is much influenced by the nature of the 

 soil, being in some instances a very prominent feature, while in others 

 it would scarcely be observed. Stems a foot to eighteen inches high. 

 Leaf-sheaths smooth, striated, the uppermost always much longer than 

 its leaf. Leaves narrow, flat, often roughish on the margins, but 

 smooth on the under surface ; the ligule short and blunt, never pointed. 

 Panicle spreading, three or four inches long; the branches slender, 

 rather rough, forming partly unilateral whorls of three or five. Spike- 

 lets slightly compressed, oblong-ovate, about four-fiowered, stalked, or 

 nearly sessile. Outer palea of the lowermost flower five- veined ; the 

 dorsal and marginal veins hairy towards the base. The webbing of 

 the flowers is usually very copious and conspicuous. 



Perennial. Flowers in June and July, but generally much earlier 

 than the rough meadow grass. 



To enumerate the varieties of this common grass would be of small 

 use to the student, without accompanying the descriptions with figures, 

 which would extend our work far beyond the proposed limits. The 

 leading features of the species are — the copiously webbed flowers, the 

 hairy marginal veins of the lower palea, and the short obtuse ligule, 



M 



