Alopecurus myosuroides. Field Foxtail Grass. 



ALOPECURUS Litmai Gen. PU Triandria Digynia. 



Cah 2-valvis. Cor, i-valvis; 

 Rai Syn. Gen. 27. Herbje graminifolije flore imperfecto culmifErje. 



ALOPECURUS myofuroides fpica cylindrica longiflima, glumis glabris ; culmo fubere&o. Hudfon FL 

 Anglp. 23. 



ALOPECURUS dgrefiis culmo fpicato eredlo, glumis laevibus. Lin» Syfi. Vegetab»p 93. Sp. PI. p, 80, 



ALOPECURUS culmo erecto, fpicato, calyce ciliato. Haller hi/l. helv. p. 249. 



GRAMEN Typhoides fpica anguftiore, Bauhin Pin» 4. 



GRAMEN cum cauda muris purpurafcente. I. Bauhin, 2. p. 473. 



GRAMEN fpicatum, fpica cylindracea tenuiffima longiore. Scheuch. Gram. 6g. 



GRAMEN myofuroides majus, fpica longiore, ariftis reclis. RaiiSyn, p. 397, The greater Moufe-tail Grafs. 



GRAMEN alopecuroides fpica longa majus et minus. Parkin/on n 69. 



GRAMEN alopecuroides minus. Gerard emac. 10. LightjootFl. Scot. p. 91. Schreber, Gram. 140./. 19. 



RADIX annua, fibrofa, fufca. | ROOT annual, fibrous, and brown. 



T 



t 



CULMUS pedalis, ereclus, ball faepe infractus, rigidiuf- J STALK a foot high, upright, often crooked at bot- 

 culus, teres, geniculatus. | torn, ftiffifh, round, and jointed,; the joints 



$ fmooth and purple. 



FOLIA triuncialia, ad duas lineas lata, lsevia, ftriata, | LEAVES about three inches long and two lines broad, 

 bali membrana obtufa inftruda. ' ¥ fmooth, flriated, furnifhed at bottom with 



I an obtufe membrane. 



SPKA longa, tenuis, fubcylindracea, purpurafcens. | SPIKE long, llender, fomewhat cylindrical, and pur- 



| plifh. 



SPICULiE uniflorae, ovato-acutae, in fpicam imbrica- I SPICULiE uniflorous, of a pointed oval fhape, lying 



tim congeftae, externe convexulae, interne $ clofely one over another in a fpike, externally 



planae, Jig. I. t roundifh, internally flat, jig. 1. 



♦ 



CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, uniflora ; valvulae fubas- % CALYX : a Glume of two valves, containing one 



quales, muticae, nervofae, baji annulo cin&tf, | flower ; the valves nearly equal, not termina- 



fig, 2, 3. I te d by any fhort Arifta, ftrongly rib'd, and 



J fur rounded at bottom by a ring, jig. 2, 3. 



COROLLA univalvis, valvula calyce paulo longiore, % COROLLA of one valve, the valve a little longer 



membranacea, laevi, jig. 4, Arifta redta, e | than the calyx, membranous, and fmooth, 



bah* valvulae exferta, fpicula duplo fere Ion- | jig. 4, furnifhed with a ftraight Arifta, which 



giore inftru&a, jig. 5. % proceeds from the bafe of the valve, and is 



I nearly twice the length of the fpicula, jig. 5. 



STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, ereaa, val- | STAMINA: three Filaments, very fine, upright, 

 vulis calycinis duplo longiora : Anthers f twice the length of the valves of the calyx; 



oblongae, utrinque furcatae, fig. 6. ¥ Anthers oblong, and forked at each end, 



% 



PISTILLUM: Germen minimum, jig. 7: Stylus | PISTILLUM: Germen very fmall, jig. 7: Style 

 brevis, bafi tumidus, jig. 8 : Stigmata duo, | fhort, fwelled at bottom, jig. 8 : Stigmata 



fetacea villofa apice reflexa, jig. 9. % two, tapering, villous, bent back at top 5j %. 9. 



SEMEN unicum, minimum, fubrotundum, corollae et | SEED one, very minute, enclofed by the corolla and 

 calyce obveftitum, fig. 10. % calyx, fig. 10. 



THE Field Foxtail Grafs, with refpecl: to agriculture, may be confidered rather as a weed than as: an 

 ufeful pafture grafs. 



It is very common in cultivated ground ; and often abounds fo much in corn fields, as to be prejudicial, 

 among rubbifh, and on banks by the fides of fields, it is alfo frequently found ; but fcarce ever in meadows. ^ 



It flowers early, and continues to bloflbm till Autumn ; and comes into bloom the quickeft, after being 

 fown, of any grafs that I have hitherto noticed. 



It is diftinguifhed from the other fpecies of the fame genus, by its long llender fpike, which tapers to 

 a point, and has fome refemblance to a moufes tail, whence J. Bauhine's and Mr. Hudson's names. This 

 fpike is generally of a purplifh colour, at leaft on that fide which is moft expofed to the fun; though 

 fometimes the whole fpike appears of a whitifh colour. The form of the fpike, and its place of growth, will, in 

 general, point out this fpecies plainly enough. But if thefe mould be found deficient, the iludent may have 

 recourfe to the annulus or ring, which furrounds the bafe of each fpicula, vid. fig. 3. 



I have found this fpecies efFeded with the difeafe called Ergot, defcribed under the Flote Fefcue Grafs. 



