SANDY AND CHALKY GROUND 47 
Culms about 2 feet. Leaves flat, broad, tapering from the base, 
striated and auricled ; ligule prominent; topmost sheath much 
inflated. Spikelets crowded and regularly imbricated into a small 
compact egg-shaped head, 1-1} inches long ; the spikelets are + 
inch long and contain one perfect flower, and beneath it two 
rudimentary glumes (small lanceolate scales) ; glumes awnless, the 
empty ones with a winged keel, pale yellow with a green stripe on 
each side ; flowering glume polished. Annual, flowering in July. 
Growing on dry banks and wall-tops, in gravelly waste places, 
and pastures :— 
Aira precox, the Early Hair-grass, is frequent all over Britain. 
Culms tufted, capillary, 1-4 inches high. Leaves very short and 
setaceous. Panicle 3-1 inch long, with very short scarcely divided 
branches, pale green. Spikelets few, about 3 inch long, 2- 
flowered without any rudiment ; flowering glumes with two longish 
teeth at the apex, also with a kneed and twisted dorsal awn nearly 
twice their length. Annual, flowering May or early June. 
Aira caryophyllea, the Silvery Hair-grass, is closely allied to 
the last species, and not less frequent. Culms taller, 6-8 inches ; 
leaves setaceous, sheaths roughish when stroked downwards, 
Branches of the panicle triply-forked and spreading. Spikelets 
silvery-grey. Annual, coming into flower rather later than A. 
pracox. 
Festuca myurus, the Mousetail Fescue, is a rather scarce grass 
found in the southern half of England and in Ireland. Culms 
1-1 feet; leaves extremely narrow, convolute and _bristle-like. 
Panicle very narrow, unilateral, and nodding, 6 inches or more in 
length, branched only at the base, the branches adpressed to the 
rachis. Spikelets about 4 inch long, 5-8-flowered ; upper empty 
glume three times as long as the lower; flowering glumes entire, 
tapering into an awn exceeding their own length. There is usually 
but one stamen in each flower. Annual, flowering close of June. 
Festuca ambigua, the Ambiguous Fescue, is a smaller variety 
with an erect, dense, fusiform panicle, the upper empty glume 3-6 
times as long as the lower one; it occurs on the south coast in 
loose sand, but is very rare. /. scéurotdes, the Barren Fescue, a 
sub-species of /. myurus, is rather frequent all over Britain. 
Culms 6-I0 inches high. Panicle narrowly oblong, about 3 inches 
long ; upper empty glume about twice as long as the lower. 
Glyceria rigida, the Hard Sweet-grass, is a wiry little annual, 
frequent in England, scarcer in Scotland and Ireland ; calcareous 
soil suits it best. Culms slender, 3-4 inches high. Panicle about 
2 inches long, purplish, with very short distichous branches, each 
bearing 3-5 spikelets which are ¢ inch long and about 7-flowered ; 
flowering glumes quite separate from each other (not imbricate), 
faintly 3-nerved, and with a scarious slightly mucronate tip. Flower- 
ing June, July. 
Poa compressa, the Flat-stemmed Meadow-grass, is not un- 
frequent in England, but very scarce in Scotland and Ireland. 
Rootstock extensively creeping, stoloniferous. Leaves narrowly 
