Holcus.| LXXXIX. GRAMINER. 523 
2 lines long, obtuse, but often bearing a short point just below the tip. 
Lowest flowering glume awnless, smooth and shining; the upper one 
thinner, its awn seldom reaching the length of the outer glumes. 
In meadows, pastures, and waste places, throughout Europe and probably 
Russian Asia, except the extreme north. One of the commonest British 
Grasses. Fl. all summer. 
2, H. mollis, Linn. (fig. 1199). Soft Holcus.—Very near H. lanatus, 
and by some considered as a mere variety. It is not generally so downy, 
although the hairs on the joints are rather more conspicuous, the spikelets 
are larger, the outer glumes taper to a fine point, and the awn of the upper 
flowering glume usually projects beyond the outer ones. 
In similar situations with H. Jlanatus, and with nearly the same 
geographical area, but much less common. Generally distributed over 
Britain, but certainly not abundant, and in some parts very rare. Ll. 
summer. | 
XXI. CYNODON. CYNODON. 
Spikelets 1-flowered, awnless, sessile along one side of the simple, spike- 
like branches of the panicle, which all proceed from nearly the same point, 
so as to appear digitate. At the base of the palea is a small bristle or 
prolongation of the axis, sometimes bearing a very minute rudimentary 
lume. 
: A genus of very few s species, perhaps all varieties of a single one, readily 
known by the digitate spikes from all British Grasses except the Digitaria 
set of Panicums, and from them by the spikelets arranged singly, not in 
pairs, along the spikes. 
1, C. Dactylon, Pers. (fig. 1200). Creeping Cynodon.—A low, pro- 
strate Grass, often creeping and rooting to a great extent; the flowering 
stems shortly ascending, with short leaves of a glaucous green. Panicle of 
3 to 5 slender spikes, each 1 to 13 inches long. Spikelets less than a line 
long; the outer glumes nearly equal, open, narrow, and pointed. Flower- 
ing glume rather longer and much broader, becoming hardened when in 
fruit, smooth on the sides, rather rough on the keel and edges. 
In cultivated and waste places, especially near the sea, very common in 
southern Europe and in all hot countries, extending more. sparingly into 
northern France and central Germany. In Britain, on the sandy southern 
coasts of England, and occasionally introduced in grass lawns. Fl. summer 
and autumn. 
XXII. SPARTINA. SPARTINA. 
Spikelets 1-flowered, much flattened, and awnless, sessile along one side 
of the simple branches of a long, spike-like panicle. Glumes long and 
narrow, strongly keeled, the palea as long as or longer than the flowering 
glume. 
~ A small genus, chiefly American, and almost confined to seacoasts. 
1. S. stricta, Sm. (fig. 1201). Cord Spartina, Cordgrass,*—A stiff, 
* The name of Cordgrass would, however, be more appropriately restricted to the 
south European Lygeum Spartum, 
