113 



The Giant, or Tall Bearded Fescue Grass, has very much of the 

 habit of the grasses belonging to the genus Bromm, to which it was 

 formerly, and is still by some botanists assigned. The shortness of the 

 ligule, and the attachment of the styles or stigmas to the summit of the 

 ovary, are the leading features of distinction. 



Festuoa trwlora. Three-flowered Bearded Fescue Grass. 

 Plate XCV. 



An occasional form of the preceding, of smaller size, with a less 

 luxuriant and nearly erect panicle, and the spikelets seldom more than 

 two- or three-flowered. 



Festuca triflora, Smith. E. B. 1918. Festuca gigantea, var. JE. B. 

 ed. 2. 146*, and of most English botanists. Bromus triflorus, 

 Linrweus. 



Occasionally met with in comparatively dry and barren ground, and 

 about sandy sea-shores. The habit is so different from that of F. 

 gigantea, that at first sight it might be regarded as a distinct species, 

 even by one accustomed to botanical pursuits. 



Festuca loliacea. Spiked Fescue Grass. Plate XCVI. 



Panicle spiie-like. Spikelets solitary, distichous, nearly sessile, 

 linear-oval or oblong, six- to ten-flowered. 



Festuca loliacea, Hudson. E. B. 1821 ; ed. 2. 150. Festuca pra- 

 tensis var. loliacea. Hooker and Arnott. Bahington. Bentham, 

 Bucetum loliaceum, Pamell. 



Frequent in moist meadows and pastures, especially in a rich soil. 

 Stems one or two feet high. Leaves linear, acute, roughish on the 

 upper surface, smooth beneath. Panicle three to six or eight inches 

 in length ; the rachis more or less flexuose, owing to the alternate dis- 

 position of the somewhat distant spikelets. Spikelets forming two 

 opposite rows, or distichous, generally nearly sessile, though the lower- 

 most are often supported by short stalks ; linear-oval, acute ; seldom less 

 than about six-flowered. Glumes very unequal, the inner or upper one 

 being sometimes all but obsolete. The length of the spikelets is liable 

 to great variation, and with it the number of flowers, which occasion- 

 ally extends to twelve or fourteen. The outer palea is membranaceous 

 at the apex and obtuse ; it is five-veined, the veins terminating as in 

 Festuca pratensis below the summit, but the middle vein never extends 

 as a dorsal awn. 



Perennial. Flowers in July. 



This grass is very liable to be overlooked, from its near resemblance 

 in habit to the more frequent and abundant Lolium perenne, Ray 

 Grass, or Darnel, but that may be at once distinguished by the spike- 

 lets having only a single large glume externally, while the Spiked 







