

Festuca ErarioR. 'Tlarr Fescurk Gnass. 
FESTUCA Linn. Gen. PL Trianpria Dicynta. aL, 
. Cal. 2 valvis. Spicu/a oblonga, teretiufcula, glumis acuminatis. 
Ran Sym. Gen. 97. HERBA GRAMINIFOLLE FLORE IMPERFECTO CULMIFER A. 
FESTUCA eror panicula decompofita, primo nutante, florente fubereéta, fpiculis ovato-lanceolatis 
acutis muticis, foliis planis. | 
FESTUCA ear panicula fecunda ere&ta, fpiculis fubariftatis, exterioribus teretibus. Linn. Syff. 
Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 118. Sp. Ph p. 111. var. B. Schreb. Gram. 1. 9. pi 94. | 
POA  folüs latis afperis, locuftis teretibus muticis, glumarum oris membranaceis. Ha//. Hif. n. 14 uae 
FESTUCA err panicula fecunda erecta ramofa, ramis binatis, {piculis ovatis fubariftatis, foliis planis. 
Hudf. Fl. Angl. ed. 9. p. 47. 
GRAMEN  arundinaceum aquaticum panicula avenacea. Razz Syn. ed. 3. p. 411. 14. 
GRAMEN  paniculatum nemorofum latiore folio glabrum, panicula nutante, nonariftata, — Raz; Syn. 
Ai ts 15. | 
GRAMEN ur Hit. locuftis viridi fpadiceis loliaceis, brevius ariflatis. Scheuch. Agroft. b. 266. 
GRAMEN  loliaceum fpica divifa pratenfe majus. Mori/. Hifl. Ox. 111. 184. 4 2. fi 15. 

) ROOT perennial, furnifhed with numerous brown 
fibres, much branched, and tightly villous. 
STALKS. from two to three feet high, or more in a 
rich foil, upright, round, {mooth, jointed, 
ufually purple at the bafe. 
LEAVES towards the root, a foot or a foot and a half 
long, and three or four lines broad, gradually 
tapering to a point, above and on the edges 
roughifh, ftriated, on the under fide keeled, 
a little gloffy, embracing the flalk, the very 
bale of a yellowifh green colour; membrane 
very fhort and truncated, leaves of the ftalk 
' fhorter ; Shearhs ftriated and fmooth. 
PANICLE from a fpan to a foot in length, at firft for 
the moft part drooping, becoming afterwards 
nearly upright; Branches generally growing 
in pairs, unequal, for the moft part fubdivided 
into fmaller ones, tumid at the bafe; Rachis 
angular, crooked, roughifh, gloffy. 
SPICULAZE ovato-lanceolate, roundifh, variegated with 
green and. purple, containing about eight 
RADIX perennis, fibris numerofis, fufcis, ramofiffimis, 
fubvillofis. 
CULMI bi-tripedales et ultra in pingui folo, erecti, 
teretes, glabri, nodofi, ad bafin plerumque 
; urpurel. 
FOLIA inferiora pedalia, aut fefquipedalia, tres 
quaterve lineas, lata, fenfim acuminata, fu- 
perne et ad margines fcabriufcula, ftriata, 
inferne carinata, nitidula, amplexicaulia, bafi 
ipfa e flavo virefcente; membrana breviflima 
truncata, caulina breviora; Vagine frate, 
leves. 
PANICULA {pithamea, aut pedalis, primo plerumque 
nutans, poftea fuberecta; Ram; plerumque 
binati, inzequales, in ramulos plerumque fub- 
divif, ad bafin tumidi; Rachzs angulofus, 
flexuofus, {cabriufculus, nitidus. - 

SPICULZ ovate-lanceolate, teretiufcule, viridi et 
purpureo variegata, fubottoflore, nunc mu- 
" : ^ o 
tice, jig. 2. nunc brevius ariflate, fy. 1. 
flowers, fometimes without, //g. 2. fometimes 
having fhort awns, jig. 1. 
CALYX: a Glume of two valves, which are unequal 
and taper to a point, jg. 9. 
COROLLA compofed of two valves, the valves nearly 
equal, pointed, the outermoft larger and a 
little longer than the other, jg. 4. the inner 
one often bifid, jig. 5. 
STAMINA: three capillary Finaments; ANTHER& 
linear and yellow, magnified, s. 6. 
PISTILLUM: Germen inverfely ovate, fmooth; 
STYLES two, Ípreading, feathery, fg. 7, 8. 
NECTARY two {mall G/umer at the bafe of the germen, 
ovate with a long point, ufually furrifhed on 
the fide with a long flender tooth, fie. 9. 
CALYX: G/uma bivalvis, valvis 1nzequalibus, acuminatis, 
SRB 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvis fubequalibus acutis, ex- 
terlore majore, et paulo longiore, fg. 4. in- 
teriore fzpe bifida, fig. 5. 
STAMINA: FiraAMENTA tria, capillaria; ANTHER 
lineares, flavee, auct. jig. 6. j | 
PISTILLUM: Germen obovatum, leve; Sryut 
duo, patentes, plumofi, fg. 7, 8. 
NECTARIUM: G/umule duse, ad bafin germinis, 
"m ovato-acuminate, denticulo laterali acuminato 
plerumque inftructe, jig. 9. 
DOD De Di Qo Oe Qe Gt Qe MQ XC Kx WOW OKO Ke DeC «OOo Ov w «Oe De De QoQ 
"The three Graffes figured in the prefent number, differ fo materially in their ufual appearance when growing 
wild, that from the firft we have been induced to confider them as diftin& fpecies; that we might however profit 
by the light which cultivation m numerous inftances throws on fpecies and varieties, we brought them into our 
garden, and after cultivating them many years in different foils and fituations, find aurfelves jufti&ed in the idea 
originally entertained. | 
The firft of thefe, the Fe/fuca elzrior, 1s the leaft common of the three, and with us the moft local, atteciing 
and found chiefly in wet fituations, as on the edges of the rivulets proceeding from the Thames, in the ofier 
grounds adjoining it, and more rarely in moift meadows and woods: we have obferved it this year 1791, in 
great plenty in an Ofier-ground adjoining the Thames, nearly oppofite the phyfic-garden, Chelfea; Ray 
mentions it as having been found by Mr. Doopy, between London and Chelfea: 1t grows in large tufts, and is 
rendered confpicuous by the breadth of its leaves, the height of its flems, and the drooping of its panicle, at 
leaft before 1t flowers. 
The ftudent muft be careful not to miftake it for the Bromus hirfurus and giganteus already figured in this 
work, and which have fome affinity to it at leaft in point of fize. | 
In open meadows, being in every refpe&t fmaller, it is not fo diftinguifhable. 
It flowers about the latter end of June and beginning of July. 
We find it to be a hardy, perennial, and very produtüve grafs, and that it will grow on moderately dry foils 
better than might be expetied; we apprehend however that it is too harfh and coarfe, either for hay or pafture : 
we recommend it neverthelefs to the notice of the Agriculturift; it probably may prove a good graís for foils 
which cannot be drained of their too great moifture, or which are apt to be overflown. 
In very luxuriant {pots the leaves will fometimes be found half an inch wide, as VarrLrANT defcribes it; in 
general, fize excepted, we difcover very little variation in the habit or characters of this grafs: in regard to 
Arifia, indeed, it varies as moft other graffes are obferved to do. | 
We have found it for the moft part beardlefs, fome authors defcribe it with, others without an Arifla, v/d. 
| Synon. Captain Dorset, who has beftowed great attention on the Britifh Grafles, fent mea fpecimen this 
year, gathered near Woolwich, the flowers of which were all fhortly bearded. ' 
Unfortunately for tbe ference, 
‘ On the awn there's no reliance. 
We have frequently noticed it in thofe grafles, which, according to their charaéter, fhould not have it, and 
wanting where it ought to have been ; this fummer in particular, Lobferved a plant of the dvene elatior without 
awns, the fingularity of which prompted me to remove its root to my garden, 
Our figure egre ti the Feffuca elatior juft coming into bloom, 
