Avena Flavescens. Yellow Oat Grass. 



AVENA Lin. Gen. PL Triandria Digynia. 



Gal. 2-valvis, multiflorus : arifta dorfali contorta. 

 Raii Syn. Gen. 27. Herbje GRAMiNiFOLiiE flore imperfecto culmiferje. 



AVENA Javefcens panicula laxa, calycibus trifloris brevibus, flofculis omnibus ariftatis. Lin. Syft. 



Vegetab. p. 105. Sp. PL 118. FL Suec. p. 103. 



AVENA triantha, locuftis teretibus, calycina gluma altera minima, petiolo villofo. Haller. Hi/?, p. 1497. 



GRAMEN avenaceum pratenfe elatius, panicula flavefcente, locuftis parvis. Raii Syn. p. 40^. 



GRAMEN avenaceum, fpica parva flavefcente, locuftis parvis. Moris. Kiji.y p. ai^. f. 8. t. 7. fig. 42. 

 Scbeuch. Agrojl. p. 223. t. 4. f. 18. 



Hud/on. FL Jngl. ed. 2. p. 53. 

 Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 106. 

 Schreber.Gram. tai>.g. 



RADIX perennis, cuita manifefte repens. | ROOT perennial, when cultivated manifeftly creeping. 



CULMUS pedalis ad bipedalem, ere&us, teres, tribus | STALK from one to two feet high, upright, round, 



aut quatuor geniculis purpurascentibus in- t furnifhed with three or four purpliih joints, 



ftru&us, hirfutulus. | and covered with numerous fhort hairs. 



FOLIA plana, ad duas lineas lata, una cum vagina £ LEAVES flat, rarely exceeding two lines in breadth, 



quas ftriata eft pilis modice longis hirfutula. | together with the fheath which is finely 



£ grooved covered with hairs of a moderate 



I length. 



PANICULA triuncialis et ultra, dum florent fpicula3 | PANICLE three inches and more in length, while the 



quam.maxime diffufa, e flavo virefcens, erecta ; £ fpiculae flower fpreading as wide as poflible, 



poftea coarctata, fubfecunda, e flavo-fufca, t of a yellowifh green colour and upright ; af- 



fplendens. | terwards clofing together, with the fpiculae 



£ moftly one way, and becoming of a yellowifh 



I brown colour and mining. 



SPICUL^E parvae, biflora?, etiam triflorae et quadriflorze, £ SPICULE fmall, containing two, three, or four flowers, 



flofculis omnibus ariftatis. jig. 3. 4. 9. | - all of which have awns. jig. 3. 4. 9. 



CALYX: Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inzequalibus, fub- | CALYX. ,A glume of two valves which are unequal, 



membranaceis,acuminatis, altera majori Jig. 1.2. \ fomewhat membranous, pointed, one larger 



| than the other, jig. 1.2. 



COROLLA: Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inasqualibus, al- £ COROLLA. A glume of two valves which are un- 



tera minore fubdiaphana, membranacea, peni- & equal, the leaft fomewhat tranfparent, mem- 



tus alba, apice bifida, altera majori tribus aut | branous, white, and bifid, the largeft marked 



quatuor nervis viridibus infignita, concava, & with three or four green nerves, hollow, bifid, 



bifida, ariftata. jig. 3. 6. and furnifhed with an awn. jig. 3. 6. 



NECTARIUM : Glumula; duas longitudine germinis, %. NECTARY; two fmall Glumes, the length of the ger- 



apice laciniatae. jig. 8. | men, jagged at top. jig. 8. 



ARISTA ex dorfo circa medium valvulas majoris erum- | AWN fpringing from about the middle of the back of 



pit, in viva planta refta, valvula duplo fere I the larger valve, in the living plant ftrair, 



longior, in ficca recurva. jig. 4. 9. almoft twice the length of the valve, in the 



% dried one crooked back. jig. 4. 9. 



STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, longitudine | STAMINA: three Filaments very fine, the length 



florum, Anthers flavae, bifurcate, jig. 5. | of the flowers ; Anthers yellow, forked at 



t both ends. jig. 5. 



PISTILLUM: Germen ovale, nudum; Styli duo, | PISTILLUM : Germen oval, naked: Styles two, 



ramofiffimi, ex apice germinis, deflexi. jig. 7. £ very much branched, growing from the top 



I of the germen, and hanging down. jig. 7. 



SEMEN oblongum, acuminatum, nudum, valvula ^ SEED oblong, pointed, naked, inciofed in the larger 



majori inclufum * valve. 



The term favefcens has with propriety been given to this fpecies of Avena, as its panicle, especially on clofing after 

 it has flowered, 'is of a yellower hue than any of the others, and this is one chara&er which may ferve to diftin- 

 guifh it ; added to this it is one of the leaft of the genus, its panicle is finely divided, its fpiculag are fmall, delicate, 

 and generally contain two perfect flowers ; and its leaves and ftalks are conftatitly hairy : cultivated in a garden, it 

 becomes larger in every refpecl, and the fpiculae contain three or more flowers. 



We may remark that the Arifta or Beard in the living plant is ftrait, but crooked in dried fpecimens. 



Though not fo common as the Avena elatior, it is to be found in moft paftures, efpecially fuch as are elevated, in 

 fome meadows, and frequently on grafiy banks by the road fide, it flowers about the end. of June. 



forms in many counties a principal part of the fineft pafturage on the downs, and in divers meadows contributes to 

 the goodnefs as well as greatnefs of the crop, As to time, it is not fo early as many of the Poas, nor is it fo late as 

 fome of the Agrojlis tribe ; on the whole, from the remarks I have made on it in its wild and cultivated ftate, I would 

 recommend it as one of the few out of the many Englifh grafles worth the. husbandman's attending to. 



