Alopecurus Geniculatus. jointed Fox-Tail 



Grass. 



ALOPECURUS Lin. Gen. PL Triandria Digynia. 



Col. 2-valvis. Cor. i-valvis. 



Raii Syn. Gen. 27. Herb^e graminifoli^e flore imperfecto culmifer^e. 



ALOPECURUS geniculatus culmo fpicato infra&o, corollis muticis, Lin. Syfl. Ve^etab b qq 

 Sp. PL 89. Ft. Suec. n. 60. Bailer, hijl. n. 1541. 



ALOPECURUS geniculatus culmo adfcendente, fpica cylindrica, glumis apice divergentibus 

 pilofis. Hud/on Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 27. 



ALOPECURUS geniculatus Scopol. FL Cam. n. 82. 



GRAMEN aquaticum geniculatum fpicatum. Bauh. pin, 3, Scheuehz. Agrqft. 72, 



GRAMEN fluviatile fpicatum. Ger. emac. 14. 



GRAMEN aquaticum fpicatum. Parkin/. 1373. Raii Syn. 396. Spiked Flote Grafs. Lightjoot, 

 FL Scot. p. 92. Oeder FL Dan. 564. 



RADIX perennis, fibrbfa, fibris albicantibus, et quan- f ROOT perennial, fibrous, the fibres whitim, fome^ 

 doque fubfufcis. | times inclined to brown. 



CULMI plures, pedales, fefquipedales et ultra, in- § STALKS feveral, a foot, a foot and a half or more 

 feme procumbentes, et faepe repentes, fub- | in length, below procumbent, and often 



ere&i, geniculati, infrafti, ramofi, fuperne J creeping, nearly upright, jointed, crooked, 



nudi, ftriati, prasfertim in fold arido plus f above naked and ftriated, branched, the bafe 



minus bulbofo. | efpecially in a dry foil more or Jefs bulbous. 



FOLIA duo aut tres lineas lata, ftriata, fuperne di- | LEAVES two or three lines broad, ftriated, the up- 

 gitis deorfum du&is afpera, inferne lasvia, | per fide if drawn backwards betwixt the 



fuperiora brevia, uncialia aut biuncialia, | fingers rough, the under fide fmooth, the 



patentia, faspe ad margines crifpa ; mem- f upperraoft leaves fhort, an inch or two inches 



brana adbafin folii ovata, acuta; vagince | long, fpreading, often crimpt at the edges; 



lasves, ftriatae, ventricofae. I the membrane at the bafe of the leaf, ovate 



I and pointed, the Jheaths fmooth, ftriated, 



I and bellying out. 



SPICiE. unciales, fefquiunciales et ultra, fubcylin- f SPIKE an inch, an inch and a half or more in length, 

 draceas, forma et colore maxime variantes, | fomewhat cylindrical, varying greatly both 



nunc obtufae nunc ad apicem fenfim atte- 4 in form and colour, fometimes blunt, and 



nuatse, virefcentes, purpurafcentes, aut etiam | fometimes tapering to a point, greenifh, 



nigricantes procul faltem vifae. $ purplifh, and even blackifh, at leaft when 



f viewed at a diflance. 



FLOSCULI imbricati. | FLORETS imbricated. 



CALYX: Gluma uniflora, bivalvis, compreffa, val- 4 CALYX : a Glume of two valves, containing one 

 vulis oblique truncatis, pubefcentibus, tri- | flower, flattened, the valves obliquely trun- 



nerviis, carina ciliata, Jig. 1 . { cated, downy, three-ribb'd, the keel ciliated, 



I fig. 1. 



COROLLA: Gluma univalvis, oblonga, ovata, | COROLLA: a Glume of one valve, oblong, ovate, 

 truncata, quinquenervis, pellucida, nuda, -| truncated, five-rib'd, pellucid, without hairs, 



ariflata, Jig. 2. Arifla juxta bafm exferta % and bearded, Jig. 2. the Beard or awn pro- 



corolla duplo longiore, fig. 3. |* ceeding from near the bafe, and twice the 



f length of the corolla, jig. 3. 



STAMINA: Filamenta tria, corolla longiora ; | STAMINA: three Filaments, longer than the co- 

 ANTHERiE oblongze, primum purpureas, f rolla ; Anther/e oblong, at firfl purple, 



demum ferrugineas, Jig. 4. | afterwards ferruginous, Jig. 4. 



PISTILLUM: Germen fubrotundum; Styli duo, I PISTILLUM : Germen roundifh; Styles two, 

 cirrhofijalbidi, extra calycem protenfi, fig. 5. f flender, feathery, and extended beyond the 



I calyx, fig. 5. 



It is in the depreffed parts of meadows, where water is occafionally apt to flagnate, that this fpecies of 

 Fox-Tail Grafs particularly delights to grow, nor is it unfrequent on the edges of ponds, flreams, and wet 

 ditches, where it often makes its way into the water ; it is alfo, though more rarely, found in dry paftures ; 

 and, according to thefe feveral fituations, it is found to vary. 



In the firft, the flalks are procumbent at the bafe, fpread themfelves on the ground, and extend a foot or 

 more in length ; before they rife upwards, the fpikes often affume a blackifh or deep purple colour, which 

 caufes it to be noticed by the Farmer, who diftinguifhes it by the name of Black Grafs*. In the fecond, it is 

 very much enlarged in its fize, and approaches near to the Alopecurus pratenjis ; but the ftalk ftill retains 

 towards the bottom its crooked appearance. In the third, it grows more upright, the fpike becomes much 

 flenderer, and the bafe of the ftalk often fwells out into a kind of bulb, as in the Avena clatior, and this variety 

 has been called Alopecurus bulbojus; in all thefe feveral varieties, the geniculatus cannot eafily be miftaken for 

 any other fpecies of Alopecurus. 



It flowers in June. 



Cattle eat it readily, neverthelefs it cannot be recommended as a profitable Grafs ; nor do the more 

 obferving Farmers confider it as fuch : indeed, where fuch Grafs is apt to abound, the belt practice would be 

 to fill up the deprefhons, and fow the ground with better Graffes. 



* The Firmer alfo diftinguifhes the Alopecurus agreftis {mwfuroides, FL Lond.) by the name of Black Grafs. 



