73 



AIRA FLEXUOSA. 



LiNNiEUS. Smith. Hookee and Abnott. Paenell. Babington. 



B.EICHENBACH. KoCH. GbEVILLE. WlLLDENOW. 



Knapp. Scheadee. Leees. Host. Schbebeb. Oedee. Ehehabt. 



plate xxii. 



Aira montana, Hudson. Dickson. 



" " Leees, {not Linn^us.) 



" scabro-setacea, Knapp. 



" setacea, Hudson. 



The Wavy Mountain Hair- Grass. 



Aira — To destroy. Flexuosa — Bending. 



A common Grass in England, Scotland, and Ireland, on heaths 

 and upon hills, often growing amongst the heather. 



It is eaten by sheep. 



Abroad it is found in North America, France, Italy, Norway, 

 Sweden, Lapland, and Germany. 



The spikelets are twice as large as in Aira caryophyllea. 



Stem upright, smooth, striated, rather flat, bearing three or four 

 exceedingly narrow, long, smooth leaves, and numerous radical 

 ones, with roughish striated sheaths, the uppermost one consider- 

 ably longer than its leaf, and being crowned with an acute mem- 

 branous ligule. Joints smooth. Inflorescence compound panicled; 

 colour pale brownish green. Panicle upright, with delicate, 

 rough, triple-forked, spreading branches. Spikelets upright, of 

 two awned florets, which do not protrude beyond the calyx; 

 colour brownish glossy copper. Calyx consisting of two almost 

 equal-sized membranous glumes, with somewhat rough keels, 



