AVENA. 421 



gl. very unequal aliout 3-flowered. — P. 54 Avena Sm., U. B. 

 952. — St. about a foot high. Radical 1. and sheaths hairy. 

 Spikelets yellowish. Upper gl. oblong-lanoeolate, acuminate. 

 Floral axis hairy, hairs short. — Fields. P. VII. E. S. I. 



29. Ave'na Linn. Oat. 



* Upper gl. 5 — 9-veined. Spikelets ultimately drooping. Soot 

 anrmal. No lateral clusters of leaves. L. alike on both sides. 



1. A.fat'ua (L.) ; pan. erect, spikelets of about 3 fl., fl. falling 

 short of the gl. hairy at the base, lower pale bifid at the end. — 

 E. B. 2221. P. 37.— Height 8 feet. Fl. with long fulvous 

 hairs at their base by which it may be distinguished from A. 

 sativa, the cultivated Oat. — Oorn-fields. A. VII. Wild Oat. 



E. S. I. 



t2. A. strigdsa (Schreb.) ; pan. secund, spikelets of about 2 fi., 

 fl. equalling the gl., lower pale ending in 2 long straight bristles. 

 —KB.12m. P. 26.— Height 3 feet. Yery like A. sativa 

 but readily distinguished by the bristles at the end of the fl. — 

 Corn-fields. A. VII. E. S. 



** Upper gl. ^veined. Spikelets erect. Root perennial. Lateral 

 clusters of I. barren. L. unth raised ribs. 



3. A. prateii 'sis (L.) ; pan. erect with simple or slightly divided 

 branches,^/?, erect 3 — 6 exceeding the glumes, I. rough. — E. B. 

 1204. P. 52.— Root fibrous. Height nearly 2 feet. St. usually 

 nearly round. L. usually short, narrow, acute. Pan.-branches 

 usually simple with only one spikelet. — /3. longifolia (Pam.) ; 

 1. much longer. — y. A. alpina (Sm.) ; st. often compressed and 

 sheaths keeled, pan.-branches often with several 5 — 6-fl. spike- 

 lets, upper pale less acute, 1. broader. I believe that none of 

 these characters are permanent. E. B. 2141. P. 53. — A. 

 planiculmis of E. B. S. 2684 may belong to this species; it 

 differs by its greatly compressed st., strongly keeled sheaths 

 and more branched panicle. — In a and ft the lowest fl. some- 

 times slightly falls short of the longer gl., in y exceeds it. — 

 Dry pastures and mountainous places. P. VI. E. S. 



4. A. pubes'cens (L.) ; pan. erect nearly simple, fl. erect 2 or 

 3 scarcely exceeding the glumes, lower /. and sheaths hairy. — 

 ^. P. 1640. P. 53.— Creeping slightly. Height 1—2 feet. L. 

 short, roimded behind the tip. — Chalky and limestone districts. 

 P. VI. E. S. T. 



