996 



THE GRASS FAMILY. 



forms run 



unequal, the flowering ones ending in an 

 awn at least as long as themselves. 



In waste places, on walls, roadsides, 

 etc., in central and southern Europe, 

 extending eastward to the Caucasus and 

 northward into southern Scandinavia. 

 In Britain, rather frequent in England 

 and Ireland, less so in Scotland. Fl. 

 early summer. There are two marked 

 varieties often considered as species, the 

 true F. Myurus, with a panicle of about 

 3 inches, the flowering glumes nearly as 

 long as their awn, the lowest empty 

 glume about 2 lines long, the second at 

 least 3 lines, and both very pointed ; 

 and the bromelilce F. (F. bromoides), 

 with the panicle much longer and more 

 slender, the flowering glumes smaller, 

 thinner, and much shorter than their 

 awns, the outermost empty glume not 

 line 1 long, the second about 2 lines. 

 In some localities, however, the two 

 much one into the other. 



Fig. 1210. 



5. One-glumed Fescue. Festuca uniglumis, Soland. 

 (Fig. 1211.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1430.) 



A tufted annual, with convolute leaves 

 like the last, but seldom above 6 inches 

 high, and the leaf-sheaths much looser. 

 Panicle one-sided and spike-like, 2 inches 

 long or rather more. Spikelets much 

 crowded, on short, erect pedicels, thick- 

 ened at the top. Outermost glume re- 

 duced to a minute almost microscopic 

 scale; the second lanceolate, 4 to 6 inches 

 long, scarious on the edges, ending in an 

 awn-like point. Flowering glumes 3 

 or 4, rather shorter, but ending in an 

 awn usually longer than themselves. 



On sandy seacoasts, common round 

 the Mediterranean, and extending up 

 the shores of western Europe to the 



