Anthoxanthum odoratum. Sweet-scented 



or Vernal Grass. 



ANTHOXANTHUM Linnai Gen. PL Diandria Digynia. 



Calyx. Gluma bivalvis, uniflora. Corolla. Gluma bivalvis, acu- 

 minata. Semen unicum. 

 Raii Synop. Gen. 27. Herbje graminifolije flore imperfecto culmiferje. 

 ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum fpica oblonga, ovata, laxa. 

 ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum fpica oblonga, ovata, flofculis fubpedunculatis arifta longioribus, Linnai Syjl, 



Vegetal, p. 67, _ Fl. Suecic. No. 33. 

 AVENA diantha, folliculo villofo, calycis glumis inaequalibus, altera de imo dorfo, altera de fummb 



ariftata. Haller. hifi. heh. No. 1491. 

 ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum Scopoli Fl. Carniol. No. 38. Hud/on FL Angl. p. ro. Stillingfieet mijeel 



t. 1. Schreber Gram, tab, 5. p, 40. 

 GRAMEN pratenfe fpica flavefcente. Bauhin. Pin. 3. 

 GRAMEN vernum fpica brevi laxa, Raii Syn. 389. Scheuch. hifi. 88. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 



CULMT primum obliqui, demum erecti, dodrantales aut 



pedales. 

 FOLIA inter digitos attrita odorem Afperulae odoratae 



fpargunt, plerumque pubefcentia, fepe leniter 



tortuofa, membrana ad bafin inftructa, Vagina 



ftriata, lasvis. 

 SPICyE oblongo-ovatae, laxae. 

 CALY3£ ; Gluma bivalvis, Valvulis inaequalibus, infe- 



riore dimido breviore, membranacea, acuta, 



fuperiore acuminata, nervis tribus viridibus ex- 



tantibus, jig. 3, 2. 

 COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvular fubaequales, mem- 



branaceas, piloja ariftatae, fufcae ; altera Arifta 



quae demum geniculate fit, prope bafin exlurgit, 



altera prope apicem, jig. 4. 



NECTARIUM s Glumul^e duae, pellucidae, nitidae, | 

 ovatae, inaequales, germen includentes, jig. 5, 6. $ 



% 



STAMINA: Filamenta duo praelonga ; Antherje | 

 oblongae, purpurea, utrinque furcatae, jig. 5. % 



PISTILLUM : Germen minimum oblongo-ovatum ; % 

 Styli duo filiformes glumi longiores, verfus a- | 

 picem plumulofae, jig. 7. % 



% 



SEMEN unicum, Neftario fufco, nitidp, inclufum,j^g- .8. | 



ROOT perennial and fibrous. 



STALKS at firft growing obliquely, finally becoming up-! 

 right, ufually from 8 to 12 inches high. 



LEAVES, if rubbed betwixt the fingers, fmelling like 

 Woodroff, generally pubefcent and often curled, 

 fumifhed with a membrane at bottom ; the 

 Sheath ftriated and fmooth. 



SPIKES of an oblong oval fhape and fmooth. 



CALYX : a Glume of two Valves, the Valves unequal, 

 the lowermoft fhorter by one half, membranous 

 and acute ; the uppermoft acuminated, with 

 three ftrong nerves or ribs, fig. 3, 2. 



COROLLA : a Glume of two Valves, the Valves near- 

 ly equal, membranous, hairy, of a brown colour, 

 and furnifhed with Ariftae, one of the Ariftae, 

 which finally becomes bent, fprings from the 

 bafe of the Valve, the other almoft at the top, 



fig- 4- 

 NECTARIUM : two fmall, pellucid, mining, oval, nn, 

 equal Glumes or Valves inclojing the Qermen, 



fig- 5> 6 - 

 STAMINA: two Filaments very long; Antherje 



long, purple, forked at each end, fig. 5. 

 PISTILLUM : Germen very fmall, of an oblong oval 



fhape ; Styles two, jlender, longer than the 



valves, and towards the top a little feathered, 



fig' 7; 

 SEED fingle, inclofed within its brown, mining Ne&a- 



x'mm, fig. 8, 



THE Anthoxanthum is diftinguifhed from the other GrafTes by a very fingular circumftance, viz. that of having only 

 two Stamina, jig. 1. hence it is placed by Linn^us among the Diandrous plants, and feparated from all the other 

 Grafles ; this peculiarity, although it occafions a feparation which does violence as it were to J^ature, yet it ferves in 

 a very ftriking manner to difcriminate this Genus from a numerous and difficult tribe of plants : exclufive of this Angu- 

 larity, it differs alfo very eflentially in the other parts of its fructification ; each of the Spicula3 contains in common 

 with many other graffes, only one flower,^. 1 : one of the Gluma Calycina, or valves of the Calyx, is fmall and: 

 membranous, fig. -\ ; the other is large, and jnclofes, or wraps up in it, as it were, the whole of the fructification, 

 fig. 2 ; thefe glumes, fo far as I have obferved, do not open and expand themfelves in the manner obfervable in the 

 Avena's, and many other graffes, were they feparate quite wide, and expofe their little feathery Styles ; but the Stamina 

 and Piftilla appear to pum themfelves out, the glumes remaining clofed, fig. I, The Gluma Corollacea are very dif- 

 fimilar to thofe of moft other graffes, being remarkably hairy, and having each of them an Arifta, the longeft of which 

 fprings from near the bafe of the glume, is at firft ftraight, but as the feed becomes ripe, the top of it is generally bent 

 horizontally inward ; the other Arifta arifes from near the top of the oppofite Glume or Valve, fig, 4. The Glu- 

 mula NeSlarii or little Glumes of the Neclarium, differ no lefs in their ftructure, being compofed of two little oval 

 mining Valves, one of which is fmaller than the other ; thefe clofely embrace the Germen, and cannot be feen but with 

 great difficulty, unlefs they are obferved juft at the time that the Antherae are protruding from betwixt them, when 

 they are very diftinct, fig. 6 ; as foon as the Antherae are excluded, they again clofe on the Germen, and continue to 

 form a coat tq the feed which does not feparate. jig. 5, 8, 



The Farmer, or thofe who have not been accuftomed to examine plants minutely, may readily diftinguifh this grafs 

 by its fmell ; if the leaves, are rubbed betwixt the fingers, they impart a grateful odour like that of Woodruff, — hence 

 I have called it fweet-fcented. 



Like the "Trijolium repens or Dutch Clover, and many others of our moft ufeful plants, this Grafs grows on almoft 

 every kind of foil, from the poo reft and drieft, to the moft fertile and boggy ; it feems however in general to prefer a 

 foil that is moderately dry. It is fubject., like all other plants, to vary in its fize, according to the goodnefs of the 

 ground it grows in : the leaves have a particular tendency to be curled if the foil he rich ; and when it grows in woods, 

 the fpikes are often much fienderer and loofer. 



It has been called by fome Authors Vernal or Spring Grafs, from its coming into ear earlier than moft others ; towards the 

 middle of May it is in full bloom, and about the middle of June the feed is ripe — and may be eafily feparated on rub- 

 bing. 



There is great reafon to believe, that this is one of our Graffes which might be cultivated with confiderable advan- 

 tage : in the meadows about town it grows to a confiderable height, and forms a thick tuft of leaves at bottom ; but 

 the circumftance moft in its favour, is its early appearance in the Spring : this feems to point it out as a proper grafs 

 to fow with others in laying down meadow land, and probably the Poa trivialis or common Meadow Grafs, with the 

 Fefiuca elatior or Meadow Fejcue joined to it, would form a mixture, the produce of which, would for this purpoie, 

 be fuperior to that of moft others. 



