974 



THE GKASS FAMILY. 



back about twice its oun length, and 

 contains stamens only ; the upper 

 flower is perfect, with a minute awn 

 near the top of the glume or none at 

 all. 



In meadows, hedges, and thickets, 

 throughout Europe and western Asia, 

 except the extreme north. Common 

 in Britain. FL summer. 



Fiar, MH-1 



XX. HOLCUS. HOLCUS. 



Panicle somewhat open, but with numerous crowded spikelets, all 

 2-flowered ; the upper flower male only, its glume bearing a short 

 awn ; the lowest hermaphrodite, its glume usually awnless. Outer 

 glumes boat-shaped, compressed, enclosing the flowers. Axis of the 

 spikelet without hairs. 



A genus limited by most botanists to the two Eupropean species, 

 allied on the one hand to Digrapliis, from which it differs in the pre- 

 sence of an upper male flower and the want of the rudimentary scales 

 below the perfect one ; on the other to False Oat, but with a different 

 habit, and the male flower above, not below, the perfect one. 



Outer glumes about 2 lines long, rather obtuse, concealing the 



awn 1. Common H. 



Outer glumes near 3 lirrs long, very pointed, the awn project- 

 ing beyond them 2. Soft H. 



1. Common Holcus. Holcus lanatus, Linn. (Fig. 1183.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1169.) 



A perennial Grass, with a creeping rootstock and ascending stems, 

 1 to 2 feet high, more or less clothed, as well as the leaves, with a very 

 short down, which gives to the whole plant a pale, soft appearance. 



