548 



COMMON GRASSES OF THE FARM 



the awns of the spikelets are irritating and injurious to 

 stock. 



Wall Barley {Hordeum murinum L.). — An annual much re- 

 sembling meadow barley, but met with on dry waste ground and 

 about footpaths and roadsides near walls. 



It is not so tall as meadow barley, and is of no agricultural 

 value. 



Genus Lolium. 

 Inflorescence a spike ; one spikelet at each notch of the 

 rachis ; the spikelets are many-flowered, 

 and are inserted so that they stand in 

 the median line of the rachis, that is, the 

 plane passing through the middle of the 

 glumes passes through the rachis also. 

 The terminal spikelet has two empty 

 glumes, the lateral spikelets only one 

 (the outer empty glume); flowering 

 glume awned or awnless. 



Perennial Eye-Grass : Ray Grass 

 {Lolium perenne L.). — A perennial 

 common in all the best pastures and 

 meadows throughout the country, and 

 used probably more extensively than 

 any other grass in mixtures for leys and 

 permanent pastures. 



The leaves are folded in the bud. 

 It grows most luxuriantly on soils 

 which are loamy or stiffish in char- 

 acter. On dry soils the produce is 

 small and of little value. 



Perennial rye-grass is a variable 



plant, and many varieties are met with 



D, Spikelet of Perennial Rye- differing chiefly in yield, fineness of 



Grass (twice natural size). ° _ ■' ■' ' 



leaf, density of spike, and durability. 



Fig. i86. — A^ Spike of Perennial 

 Rye-Grass (natural size). 

 C, Base of leaf-blade and ligule. 

 B^ Spikelet of Italian Rye-Grass. 



