532 COMMON GRASSES OF THE FARM 



one of the best permanent meadow and pasture grasses and 

 characterised by early and abundant growth. Although it grows 

 well after being cut, it is best suited for grazing land as its 

 flowers are shed and its leaves often withered before the time 

 for cutting grass for hay. 



For leys of less than three years' duration it cannot be recom- 

 mended as it is of slow maturation and does not produce its full 

 yield before the third or fourth year after sowing the seed. 



The empty glumes are united about ^ or J of their length. 



Slender Foxtail: Black-Grass (A. agrestis 'L.). — An annual 

 resembling the last" but distinguished from it by its roughish 

 stems and its empty glumes which are united about half their 

 length. The empty glumes are not so hairy and feel harsher 

 than those of meadow foxtail, and the flowers are not produced 

 and ripened till late in summer and autumn. It is a troublesome 

 pest on arable ground and is also present in small quantity in 

 pastures and meadows and by waysides in the south of England. 

 Stock refuse it. 



Floating Foxtail {A. geniculatus L.) is another useless species 

 of this genus common in wet places and near the edges of pools 

 in damp meadows. Its panicle is more slender than meadow 

 foxtail and its stem is decumbent and bent at the nodes. 



Genus Phleuwi. 



Panicles cylindrical and spike-like : spikelets one-flowered, com- 

 pressed ; empty glumes with short stiff point or awn : flowering 

 glume awnless. 



Timothy : Catstail (Phleum pratense L.). — A perennial 

 growing generally in tufts and often mistaken for meadow foxtail. 

 Apart from differences in structure it is, however, a much later 

 grass, and rarely flowers until the spikelets of foxtail have fallen 

 from the rachis. Timothy is among the most useful grasses and 

 can be sown alone or in mixture for leys and permanent pasture. 

 It is one of the best grasses for heavy clays and produces a large 



