AGRICULTURAL GRASSES 51 



advise caution in sowing seed, not only on account of the 

 tendency of the grass to become ergoted, but because of the 

 extreme coarseness of the hay produced. Upon the latter 

 point Mr. J. Gilbert Baker, of the Royal Herbarium, Kew, in 

 referring to Festuca elatior as found growing wild in England, 

 has accurately stated that ' Festuca elatior is a tall, coarse grass, 

 with stems reaching four or five feet in height, and leaves one to 

 two feet long by a quarter to half an inch broad.' Specimens 

 of this robust type may be found in the water-meadows in the 

 South of England. 



The illustration published in the 5*. Edition of this work 

 was drawn from a portion of a plant raised from seed of the 

 foreign Festuca elatior (arundinacea) sown in light garden soil. 

 It will be seen that the plant is far more robust than 

 Festuca pratensis grown alongside, and falls little short of 

 the size which Mr. Baker describes the plant to attain when 

 growing wild. I have adopted the distinctive name of Festuca 

 elatior Jertilis, very happily given by Sinclair to the foreign 

 seed-bearing variety, to distinguish it from the English variety 

 called by him Festuca elatior sterilis. 



I may add that Festuca elatior, whether produced by the 

 planting of the divided roots of the indigenous variety, or as 

 the result of sowing seed of the Continental form — Festuca 

 arundinacea — equally maintains the creeping habit of the root 

 which is one distinctive feature as compared with Festuca 

 pratensis Hudsoni. 



When not in flower this variety may be recognised by the 

 following characteristics of the herbage. Upper surface of 

 the deep green leaf very prominently ribbed, and hard to the 

 touch, especially so at the edges. The round lower sheaths are 

 striated and rough ; the bottom of basal sheath purple or red. 



For illustration, description, and chemical analysis, see 

 5s. Edition. 



