MEADOW FOXTAIL 



665 



point a little below the middle of the spikelet to its base. The 

 flowering glume possesses a long bent dorsal awn, and surrounds 

 the yellow flattened caryopsis, which nearly always has upon it 

 the remains of a conspicuous stigma. The length of spikelet is 

 about 6 or 7 mm., and 2 '5 to 3 mm. broad. The colour of 

 seeds in good samples is greyish-brown on one side, lighter on 

 the other ; the very pale silvery specimens, which look so well, 

 are usually unripe and poor in quality. 



Purity. — Few grasses are so liable to wilful adulteration as 

 this, the seeds chiefly used for this purpose being those of 

 Yorkshire Fog {Hokus lanatus L. and H. mollis L.), Black 

 Bent or Slender Foxtail {Alopeairiis agrcstis L.), 

 and Perennial Rye-grass {Loliuni perenne L.) York- 

 shire Fog seeds consist of complete ;'z«'(?-flowered 

 spikelets which are broader and not so long as 

 Foxtail (Fig. 210), and of a paler and more uniform 

 colour. The empty glumes are 

 more hairy, and reveal the two 

 small florets when opened. The 

 lower floret only is fertile, and has a 

 shining porcelain-like appearance. 

 The upper one possesses an awn 

 vvhich is bent like a fish-hook in H, 

 lanatus and straighter in H. mollis. 



Slender Foxtail seeds are similar 

 in shape to those of Meadow 

 Foxtail, but readily distinguished 

 by their slightly larger size and 

 almost entire absence of hairs on 

 the keel. They are harsher to the 

 touch, and do not cling to each 

 other like the true seeds. 



The empty glumes are united to a point near the 

 of the seed, measured from the base (Fig. 210). 



F(G. 210. — Two common adulterants of JMeadow 



Foxtail. 

 (1) Yorkshire Fog. (2) Slender Foxtail. 



middle 



