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litar)-, fcarcily a foot long, very finipk.-ercft, a liltlo decum- 

 bent at the bafe, foliofe, binojial, Itiiatid, and fmootli ; the 

 leaves fmooth ; tlie radical few and (liort ; the cauline almoft 

 linear, patent, and of the length of the llieaths ; the ftipula 

 fhort and ilriated ; the fpike fefqniuncial, fomewhat ered, 

 very fimple, flender, acute, and many-flowered ; the glumes 

 of the calyx a little iiiicqual, acute, avvnlefs, altogether lepa- 

 i-ate at the bafe, villous in the nerves, and undilatcd carina ; 

 the glume of the -corolla emarginatcd and awned at the bafe. 

 Thi^ fpecies is very different from tlie A. geniculatus, and has 

 florets, faysDr. Stokes, longer,narrow< r,and much lels hair)- ; 

 and Dr. Smith obferves, that in its fpike, and the ftrufture 

 of the flowers, it is more nearly alUed to the A. agreilis. It 

 is found rarely in fait marflies ; in thofe near Yarmouth, in 

 the marflies of Cardiff ir. Glamorganfhire, and near the Auil 

 paffage, and in the vicinity of Northfleet, in Kent. It is 

 pereiniial, and flowers in July. 3. h.. iratenju, meadow fox- 

 tail g. with the culm ereft and fmooth, fpike lublobated, and 

 the glumes of the calyx villous and connate at the bafe. The 

 root is fibrous ; the culm two feet high, ereCl, foliofe, 

 fmooth ; the leaves fomewhat fmooth and glaucous, with a 

 ftiort, fubpubefcent ftipula ; the fpike fomewhat fimple, fcaree- 

 ly paniculated, denfe, ereft, about two inches long, foft, and 

 many-flowered ; all the glumes are equal, lanceolate, com- 

 prcffed, white, marked on both fides with two green longitudi- 

 nal lines ; thofe of the calyx, efpecially near the keel, filky- 

 villous and awnlefs; the glume of the corolla fmooth, except 

 toward the apex uf the keel, awned at the bafe, the awn ge- 

 niculated, twice longer than the flower, and naked. This is 

 a native of molt parts of Europe, from Italy through France, 

 Germany, Holland, Great Britain, to Denmark, Norway, 

 Sweden, and Ruffia ; and alfo in Siberia. It is found with 

 us very common in paftures and meadows. It is perennial, 

 and flowers in May. This is the beft grafs to be fown in 

 low meadow grounds, or in boggy places which have been 

 drained. Sheep, horfes, and goats eat it. Cows and fwine 

 are not fond of it ; but Dr. Pulteney fays, this is the moft 

 grateful of all the graffes to cattle. It poffeffes, fays Pio- 

 feffor Martyn, the three great requifites of quantity, qua- 

 lity, and earlinefs, in a degree fuperior to any other, and is 

 therefore highly deferving of cultivation in lands that are 

 proper for it. The feed may be eafily collected, as it does 

 not quit the chaff, and the fpikes are very prolific. But the 

 larvse of a fpecies of mufca;, which are themfelves the prey 

 of the cimex campeftris, devour the feed fo much, that in 

 many fpikes you will fcarcely find one perfeS. Lewis Ma- 

 jendie, Efq. at Hedingham, has cultivated it on a confiderable 

 fcale, and found it to be an excellent grafs. 4. A. /Igrejlis, 

 field or flender fox-tail g. with culm ereft, roughifli, fpike 

 very fimple and attenuated, glumes naked, connate at the 

 bafe, and dilated at the keel. The root is fibrous and fmall ; 

 the culm half a foot long, ereift, foliofe, naked at the apex, 

 and roughilb ;; the leaves rough above, the ft;ipula lanceolate 

 and pubefcent ; the fpike almoft three inches long, ereft, 

 flender, acute, manyflowercd, and of a purplifli colour ; the 

 glumes fubequal, larger than the preceding, and lefs pubef- 

 cent, varied with white and green, and nerves prominent ; 

 thofe of the calyx villous at the bafe, connate, with a dilated 

 fubpubefcent keel, and awnlefs, the glume of the corolla 

 fmooth, awned at the bafe ; the awn geniculated, twice 

 longer than the flower, rough and recurved in drying. This 

 grafs is a troublefome weed in cultivated ground ; and among 

 wheat it is execrated by the farmers, under the name of 

 Hack bent ; it is alfo common by way-fides as well as in corn- 

 fields, and in paftures in the Ifle of Wight. It has ac- 

 quired the name of moufe-tail grafs in Engliih, and Myofu- 

 roides in Latinj from the great length and llendernefs of the 



3 



fpike, wliich rcfembles the tail of a moufe. It is annual, 

 floweis in July, continues flowering till Autumn, and comes 

 into bloom vciy foon after being lown. There is a variety, 

 with a fliorter fpike, and recurved awns. It is fmall and 

 brown, on account of its barren and funny fituation. 5. A. 

 gen'icublus, gramen fluviatilefpicatum of Gerard, g. aquati- 

 cum fpicatum of Parkinfon, and ^. alopec. flav.gtnicul. pro- 

 cumbens of Morifon, floating fox-tail g. with culm afcend- 

 ing and geniculated or knee-jointed, fpike fublobate and cy- 

 lindric, and glumcb blunted and haiiy. The root confills of 

 very long and fimple fibres ; the culms natant, very long, 

 geniculated, radicating m the inferior geniculi, affurgent in 

 the apex, foliofe, ramous, and fmooth, the leaves fmoothifli, 

 the ftipula whltifli and veiy flender, the fpike cylindric, 

 fhort, fomewhat obtufe, diviiible in lobes, many-flowered, 

 purphfli, and in the variety /3 whitifli ; the glumes twice lefs 

 than the preceding, fubequal, and \crf obtufe, thofe of the 

 calyx longer, hairy ; thofe of the corolla crenated, fmooth, 

 awned toward the bafe, the awn geniculated, and of various 

 length ; the root in dry places is bulbous, with a culm fome- 

 what ereit ; and this variety Hudfou has confounded with the 

 A. bulbofus. Dr. Smith mentions two varieties, ti/'z. /S. g. flu- 

 viatile album of Dillcnius, and y. with a bulbous root of Hud- 

 fou and Withering. This fpecies is eafily known in its common 

 ftate, by pools and in wet meadows, by the frequent joints of 

 the culm or ftem changing their tiireftion, and appearing 

 broken. It often puts out roots under water from thejoints, 

 and thus fpreads itlelf ; the leaves floating on the iurface. 

 From the deep colour of the fpikes, it is called in forac 

 places hhich-grafs. It fometimes occurs in dry paftures, and 

 tlien, according to Mr. Curtis, grows more upright ; the 

 Ipikc is much more fltr.der, and the bafe of the ftiJk fwells 

 out into a kind of bulb. It is perennial, and flowers in July. 

 Cattle eat it, but it is not eileemed .. profitable grafs. The 

 variety y is found in walls and a dry fterile foil. Dr. Wither- 

 ing mentions four varieties ; one of which, with awns, 

 very fine and foft, not longer than the calyx, fruit little, 

 ftalks branched, a fibrous rooc, and found in a marfhy place 

 near the Stews, in Edgbafton park, he fufpefts to be a dif- 

 tinft fpecies. 6. A. Hordeiformu, barley-like fox-tail g. with 

 fimple raceme, and flowers intrenched with awns. This is 

 an Indian grafs, and refembles hordeum murinum, or barley- 

 grafs. 7. A. Motifpelienfs, A. Ariftatus of Hudfon, &c. 

 phleum crinatum of Schreber, bearded fox-tail g. with pani- 

 cle fubfpiked, rugged calyxes, and awned corollas. This 

 refembles A. paniccus, but is three times as large ; the calyx 

 has a tubercle at the bottom ; the corolla, which has two 

 valves, is Ihorter than the awn, the culm and leaves are ftiff, 

 the glumes rough, but fmooth at the edge, both valves are 

 awnedj and the awns of the corolla are much fliorter than 

 thofe of the calyx. It grows wild in marflies and wet paf- 

 tures, at Purfleet in Effex, and at Drayton, about two miles 

 from Portfmouth, is annual, and flowers in June and July. 

 See Agrostis. 8. A. pan'iceus, hairy fox-tail g. with pa- 

 nicle fubfpiked, villous glumes, and awned corollas, very 

 much refembles the laft fpecies, but the whole plant is foft, 

 and only five or fix inches high ; the glumes downy, woolly at 

 the edges ; the awns of the corolla fliorter than thofe of the 

 calyx ; the corolla has two valves, as fhort again as the ca- 

 lyx, hollow and fmooth ; the outer three times as broad as 

 the other, roundith-ovate, blunt, with four teeth, with awn 

 longer than the valve iffuing from below the point ; inner 

 valve ovate-lanceolate, pointed, with two teeth ; the calyx 

 ending at the bafe in a hard tubercle. This fpecies grows 

 on dry foils, is annual, and flowers in July. See Agrostis. 



Gmelin refers to this genus the following fpecies, be- 

 fides thofe above enumerated, vi%. A. (Hiatus, with a culm 



fpiked 



