984 



THE GRASS FAMILY. 



10 or more, at regular distances on al- 

 ternate sides of a spike varying from 

 2 or 3 inches to twice that length, each 

 one containing 5 or 6 flowers. Glumes 

 all alike in shape, narrow and stiff, 

 marked with 5 or more nerves, and 

 usually pointed or terminating in an 

 awn, sometimes exceedingly short, some- 

 times as long as the glume itself; the 

 outer empty glume about 4 lines long ; 

 the flowering ones gradually shorter, 

 with less prominent nerves ; the ternii- 

 inal one usually small and empty or 

 quite rudimentary. 



In fields and waste places, through- 

 out Europe and Russian Asia, from 

 the Mediterranean to the Arctic re- 

 gions, and in North and South Ame- 

 rica. Abundant in Britain. Fl. sum- 

 mer. The Hush T. (T. junceum, Eng. 

 Bot. t. 814, and T. laxum, Brit. El.) 

 appears to be merely a maritime variety of the same species, much 

 stiffer and more glaucous, with the leaves almost pungent, and the glumes 

 often obtuse. It is frequent on seacoasts throughout the range of the com- 

 mon couch T., and has been often observed to pass gradually into it. 



1194. 



Fibrous Triticum. Triticum caninum, Huds. (Eig. 1195.) 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1372.) 



In the structure of the spikelets and 

 their arrangement, this species closely 

 resembles the couch T., but the stems 

 are tufted, without any creeping root- 

 stock, more leafy, and not so glaucous. 

 Glumes rather thinner, with 5 very 

 prominent ribs, and terminating in a 

 rather long awn ; the outer empty ones 

 usually smaller than the flowering ones, 

 w-ith shorter awns, and often only 3 

 ribs. 



In woods and shady places, in Europe 

 and Russian Asia from the Mediter- 

 ranean to the Arctic regions, and in 

 North America. Generally distributed 

 over Britain, but not very common. 

 Fl. summer. 



Fig. 1195. 



