91 



HIEROCHLOE BOREALIS. 



RoEMEB AND ScHULTES. PaBNELL. HoOKER AND GrEVILLE. 



J. E. Smith. Lindlet. Badinoton. Eeichenbacit. 



PLATE XXIX. A. 



Jlolcus (borealis, ScHBADEB. 



" odoratus, LiNN-Etrs. Smith. WfLLDENOW, 



" " Oeder. Sinclair. Waiilenberi!. 



Hieroehloe odorata, Kocn. 



The Holy Grass. 



Hieroehloe — Sacred Grass. Borealis — North. 



Hiebochloe. Gmelin. — The "Holy Grass" has a wide-spread panicle, 

 and derives its name from two Greek words, signifying Sacred Grass, because 

 according to Gmelin, it is on the sacred festivals in some parts of Per- 

 sia, scattered before the doors of churches, being dedicated to the Virgin 

 Mary. Sir W. Hooker remarks that a similar custom still prevails at 

 Norwich, where the Aeorus calamus, or "Sweet Sedge," is the favoured 

 plant. 



Great Britain only possesses one species, namely, Hieroehloe borealis, 

 which has been found iu Scotland. It is an abundant Iceland plant. 



This very rare species, although one of our earliest, yet it 

 is not a valuable Grass. 



It is confined to Scotland, having been found by the late 

 Mr. G. Don, in a mountain valley called Kella, near the 

 Spittle of Glen Shee, Forfarshire, and near Thurso, Caithness, 

 in 1854, by Mr. Robert Dick. 



Abroad it is native of Norway, Sweden, Lapland, Iceland, Italy, 

 France, Germany, Prussia, Kamtschatka, and Russian America. 



R 



