GRASS FAMILY 579 



broad ; anthers about five times as long as broad, purple, yellowish 

 when empty. — Watery places ; common. — Fl. June — September. 

 Perennial. 



2. G. plicdta (Plaited-leaved Manna-grass), a nearly allied form, 

 has glaucous, rather blunt leaves, plaited when young, with fur- 

 rowed sheaths ; panicle with many branches, spreading when in 

 fruit ; flowering glume twice as long as broad ; anthers about thrice 

 as long as broad, cream-coloured, brownish when empty. — Stag- 

 nant water ; frequent. — FI. June — August. Perennial. 



3. G. aqudtica (Reed Manna-grass). — A conspicuous and impos- 

 ing grass, 4 — 6 feet high ; root-stock creeping ; leaves never floating, 

 sub-erect, flat, rough on the edges, with long, smooth sheaths ; 

 -panicle erect, about a foot long, much branched, with spreading, 

 slender branches; spikelets numerous, 5 — 10-flowered, oblong; 

 flowering glumes ij line long, loosely imbricate, 5 — 7-ribbed. — 

 Watery places ; frequent in England and Ireland, but rare in Scot- 

 land. A fine covert for waterfowl. — Fl. April — August. Perennial. 



39. Sclerochloa (Maritime Manna-grass). — A group closely 

 related to Glyceria ; but differing in the cylindric, faintly 5 -veined 

 flowering-glume ; the slender lodicules ; and the dorsally com- 

 pressed fruit. (Name from the Greek sklcros, hard, chloa, grass.) 



1. S. maritima (Sea Manna-grass). — Root-stock creeping, with 

 runners ; stems about a foot high ; leaves involute, with smooth 

 sheaths ; panicle erect, 1 -sided, t — 4 in. long, generally com- 

 pact, branches short, solitary, or in pairs, rarely 3 or more to- 

 gether ; spikelets not numerous, 4 — 8-flowered ; flowering glume 

 apiculate. — Sandy or muddy salt marshes ; frequent. — Fl. June — 

 September. Perennial. 



2. 5. festucifdrmis, over two feet high, slightly geniculate ; with 

 broader convolute leaves and stouter build, occurs on the shore 

 of Strangford Lough, co. Down. 



3. S. distans (Refiexed Manna-grass). — An allied species, tufted 

 and generally without runners ; stems 1 — 2 feet high, slender ; 

 leaves flat ; panicle spreading, with long, slender branches, 4 — 5 

 together, ultimately deflexed ; spikelets \ in. long, 3 — 7-flowered ; 

 flowering glume truncate. — Sandy salt marshes ; not common. — Fl. 

 June — October. Perennial. 



4. S. Borreri, somewhat intermediate between the two preced- * 

 ing species, is densely tufted, without runners, 6 — 20 in. high ; 

 leaves flat ; panicle 3 — 6 in. long, with short branches 2 — 4 to- 

 gether, ascending ; spikelets very small, crowded, 3 — 7- flowered ; 

 flowering glume apiculate. — Salt marshes on the east and south 

 coasts ; rare. — Fl. June — August. Perennial. 



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