BEOMUS 



GBASS OBDER 



ELYMUS 959 



Culture dc, as above. This species 

 may be used for the edges of ornamental 

 pieces of water. There is a variegated 

 form which is handsome. 



BRIZA (Quaking G-eass). — A genus 

 of pretty and graceful Grasses easily 

 recognised by their large ovate or heart- 

 shaped drooping spikelets borne in loose 

 panicles. 



B. maxima. — A native of S. Europe, 

 grows about 18 in. high, with long linear 

 tapering leaves and oblong heart-shaped 

 spikelets of a whitish-yeUow or straw 

 colour gracefully nodding at the ends of 

 the slender stems, during the summer 

 months. 



Culture and Propagation. — -This is 

 an annual and may be raised from seeds 

 sown in spring or autumn in ordinary 

 soil. 



B. media. — A native perennial about 

 1 ft. high, with flat smooth leaves, and 

 pyramidal panicles with very long hair- 

 liie branches from which hang green or 

 purplish shiny spikelets ovate in shape, 

 and midway in size between those of 

 B. maxvma and B, minor. 



Culture a/nd Propagation. — This will 

 grow in ordinary garden soil, and may be 

 increased by seeds or division in spring or 

 autumn. 



B. minor (B. minima ; B. gracilis). — 

 Little Quakimg Grass. — A charming 

 little annual Grass, native of the S. of 

 England and Ireland, Channel Islands 

 (Stc, with tufted stems 4-10 in. high. The 

 panicles' with hair-like branches are 

 covered with drooping triangular spike- 

 lets during Jime and July, and look very 

 graceftd. 



Culture So. as above for B. maxima. 

 Increased by seeds sown in September 

 or spring. All the Brizas are useful for 

 cutting and drjdng, and give a light airy 

 effect to bouquets and other floral decora- 

 tions. 



BROMUS (Beome Geass). — Only 

 one species of this genus is generally 

 grown for ornamental purposes, viz. B. 

 hrizcBform.is. It is an elegant biennial 

 Grass about 2 ft. high, with drooping 

 panicles, from which hang oblong heart- 

 shaped spikelets on slender hairy stalks, 

 almost as large as those of Briza 

 maxima. 



Culture and Propagation. — It grows 

 readily in ordinary garden soil in warm 



positions, and may be raised from seeds 

 sown in August or September for flower- 

 ing the following year. The flower sprays 

 are useful for cutting and drying in the 

 same way as the Brizas. 



DACTYLIS (Cock's Foot Grass). 

 The variegated form of D. glomerata is 

 a well-known perennial grass, the green 

 form being a native of pastures and wet 

 places in the British Islands. The 

 variety variegata with silvery striped 

 leaves is much used for edging flower 

 beds and borders and grows freely. Being 

 dwarf and densely tufted, it is admirably 

 suited for edgings, and is readily increased 

 by division into small pieces in September 

 or October when the flower beds are 

 being rearranged. The soil should be of 

 a fairly rich and moist character, as dry 

 poor soils give the foliage a dullish dirty 

 appearance. 



ELYMUS (Bunch Geass ; Lyme 

 Geass). — A genus of tall perennial 

 Grasses, the most ornamental of whicli 

 for garden purposes is M. arenarius. It 

 is a glaucous plant with stout creeping 

 stolon-bearing rootstooks, by means of 

 which it fixes the sands near the seashores 

 and prevents them from being blown 

 about by the wind. The stout smooth 

 stems grow 3-6 ft. high, and the stiffish 

 erect or recurving leaves have a graceful 

 appearance, quite apart from the flower 

 spikes, which appear in summer and 

 stand well above the foliage. 



Culture and Propagation. — Grown 

 in good soil in parts of the rookery, in 

 shrubberies, banks &c., it is very effective 

 on account of its glaucous hue, and may 

 be allowed to form good tufts. When 

 necessary the plants may be increased by 

 division in autumn or spring. Seeds may 

 also be sown as soon as ripe in rich light 

 sandy soil, and the seedlings pricked out 

 or thinned out the following spring. 



E. condensatus from British Columbia 

 is a vigorous and ornamental Grass, quite 

 hardy in most parts of the British Islands. 

 It grows 6-8 ft. high, forming dense com- 

 pact tufts, with long gracefully arching 

 leaves, above which the stiff erect flower 

 spikes are borne during the summer 

 months. 



Culture dc. as above. It may be 

 grown like E. arenarius and increased 

 by division or seeds. 



Other species of Lyme Grass are 

 giganteus from Siberia ; mollis and vir- 



