542 



N A r U 11 A L A 11 R A N G E M E x\ T. 



471. Ohoer CCX. GRAMI'NE.E. 



(iVM<-/-fl 158, S/ic'fif.t l(i71 ; llot-houst- Specie's 1 19 ; Orcen-housc Species 59 ; Hardy J.igjieous Species ; 

 //n/ </j^ Herbaceous Species 893. f feet ; £ 67 feet ; ^ 9 feet. 

 The onler of grasses is beyond doubt the most natural of all that the ingenuity of systematic botanists has 

 contrivixl ; it is aUo the most numerous in species. The inflorescence is very much alike throughout the orders ; 

 and the floral envelojH?s, which are bractea; in a progressive state to the form of calyx and petals, offer few 

 striking characters by which the genera can be characterised. Hence it is that the classification of the order, 

 and its division into genera, has not only been found extremely diflicult, but has given rise to mudi difference 

 of opinion among botanists; some of whom, adliering to the synthetical arrangement of Linnipus, admit but 

 a sm.ill number of genera, while others, admitting the analytical principles of motlern science, divide it 

 into a vast nunil>er. The middle course in this, as in most other cases, is i)robably thcjust one. A subdi- 

 vision of the order into tribes has l)een attempted by Palisot, Trinius, Dumortier, Ka.spail, Kunth, Link, and 

 others ; that of Link is here adopted. The general habit of grasses is so familiar to every one, that it may 

 be passed over in silence. They are remarkable for exhibiting, in no case, properties that are actually poi- 

 sonous ; |>ossessing on the contrary, in almost all cases, wholesome and nutritive qualities. These latter are 

 cspet^-iallv obvious in their seetis, which always contain a farinaceous substance, mixed witii a certain pro- 

 portion of glutinous m.ittcr. No one is ignorant of the various and important uses of the seeds of wheat, 

 rye, barley, oats, maize, rice, and others, and in general of all the larger kinds of grass. It must however be 

 remarked', that if the smaller sorts are not employed in like manner, it is merely on account of their minuteness, 

 and not on account of any difference in their nature ; in fact, in times of scarcity, and in half-cultivated coun- 

 tries, use has advantageously been made of Glycferia fliiitans, Zizinia aquatica, A\'hna fatua, Digit^ria san- 

 guinfllis, Arrhenath^rum avVnJiccum, /fromus secfilinus, and E lymus arenarius. It is also to be noted, that 

 the particular uses for which tlie seeds of certain grasses arc employed, are not peculiar to tliem, but may be 

 obtained from all the others, with slight modifications. Thus beer is made not only from barley, but also from 

 wheat ; spirituous liquors not only from our European cerealia, but also from rice. But it must be remarked, 

 that a singular exception to the generally wholesome properties of grasses appears to exist in Z,61ium temuKntum, 

 the seetl of which is reported to be narcotic and inebriating, and even poisonous ; there is no doubt, however, 

 that these qualities have been greatly exaggerated ; for, in the first place, they disappear in bread or beer 

 manufactured from L51ium temulentum ; and secondly, in times of scarcity people have frequently lived upon 

 it. But even supposing all that has been stated upon the subject to be true, this plant will still be "found to be 

 little different from wheat, when long exposed to wet; so well, indeed, is this known by country people, that a 

 belief exists, that in wet summers wheat is actually transmuted into rye grass. The exciting properties of the 

 oat, which are very unusual in this order, have been found to reside in the husk and not in the seed, and to 

 depend upon the presence of a minute quantity of an aromatic principle, analogous to Vanilla, lying em- 

 bedded in the envelope of the seed, and capable of being extracted by aid of alcohol. As to the deleterious 

 effects of the ergot of rve, these do not depend certainly upon any such property in the rye itself, but is caused 

 either by the ergot disease, or, as is believed, by the parasitic fungus, from the attack of which it arises. Now 

 let us pass from the seeds of Gramiiieae to their stems, and we shall find a no less remarkable uniformity of 

 nature in them. Thev all contain, especially before flowering, a sweet sugary mucilage, which varies in quan- 

 titv in different species. The sugar cane, in which this is found in greatest abundance, not only constantly exists 

 in 'the most favourable condition for producing it, as it rarely flowers, but is also one of the largest grasses 

 known. The maize also abounds in sugar ; and the same substance is secreted in such abundance by the 

 Sorghum saccharktum, that attempts have actually been made in Italy to cultivate it as the sugar cane. The 

 creeping roots of grasses, which are generally mucilaginous and demulcent, are sometimes used in medicine; 

 but they are of more importance for retaining in banks the sand of the sea shore, so as to form artificial cliffs 

 on flat coasts, to restrain the inroads of the sea. The stems of Cymbopbgon Schoenanthus, the leaves of 

 Androp5gon citrktum, the roots of Andropbgon A'&rdus, and the whole plant of all the species of Anthox- 

 anthum exhale an aromatic odour, and possess slightly tonic properties. To conclude, the epidermis of grasses 

 has been found ( o contain a considerable quantity of silex. Division and seeds. 



SpicatcB terminales. 

 472. Section 1. OPHiu^RiNiE. 



lig. 0. herb. 6. ^ 3 ft. 

 278 Ophiurus Beauv. *0 



280 Pholiurus Trin. 

 32 Monerma R Br. 

 279 Rottbo61ba L. 

 276 Micr6chloa Beam 



113. Section 2. Lolia^ce.«. 

 lig. 0. herb. 19. £ 10 ft. 

 271 Lblium L. *0 19 



474. Section 3. Na'rdin.e. 

 lig. 0. herb. 1. £ 1 ft. 

 176 mrdus L. *0 1 



475. Section 4. Ce'nchrin^. 

 lig. 0. herb. 4. £ 4 ft 



170 Cenchrus L. 3 



228 Centoth^ca Desv. 1 

 282 Manisiirus L. 

 281 Anth^phora Schreb. 



476. Section 5. Lappagi'ne^. 

 lig. 0. herb. 1. ^ 2 ft. 



193 iappkgo Schreb. 1 



477. Section 5. 2EA}iL6piyjE. 

 lig. 0. herb. 7. £ 5 ft. 

 2857 ^'gUops L. 7 



478. Section 7. HoRDEA^cEiL 



lig. 0. herb. 42. £ 18 fl. 

 272 £aymus L. *0 22 



275 .^6rdeuai 7, *0 20 



479. Section 8. TRnicE.sE. 

 lig. 0. herb. 93. £ 25| ft 



273 5eckle L. Off 



269 TriticumX. 31 



270 Agropyrum Bea7/v. *0 32 

 243 Brachyp^dium Beauv.*0 22 

 227 Gaudi'nia Beauv. 1 

 266 Wangenheimza Trin. 1 



Spicatce suhterminales. 

 480. Section 1. Spartixa'ceje. 



lig. 0. herb. 7. £ 6 ft. 

 174 Spartlna Schreb. *0 7 



481. Section 2. Paspa'lix.e. 



lig. 0. herb. 10. £ 6 ft. 



178 Pispalum L. 10 



182 Cerhsia Pers. 



482. Section 3. Cynod6nte.c. 

 lig. 0. herb. 6. £ ^ ft. 



263 nodon Pers. *0 6 



483. Section 4. Chlori'de.e. 

 lig. 0. kerb. 25. £ 10 ft. 



262 Leptdchloa Beau v. 









264 Actin6chloa W. 







4 



265 Dinfebra Beauv. 







1 



2849 Chlbris Swx. 







7 



2851 Eustachys Besv. 







260 Rhabd6chloa Beauv. 







3 



261 Dactylocteniura Beauv. 



1 



259 Eleusiwe Gae. 







4 



250 Beckmannia Host. 







1 



274 Tetrapr)gon Besf. 







1 



Panicidatce iiniflorce. 

 484. Division 1. Phalaridece. 

 lig. 0. herb. 52. £ 14^ ft. ; i 3 ft. 



216 Phalaris L. *0 13 



217 Degraphis A^re. *0 3 



214 Achnod6nton Beauv. 2 

 213 Phleum L. *0 11 



215 Chil6chloa Beauv. *0 5 



211 Crypsis H. K. 3 



212 ^lopectu-us L. •O 14 

 169 Cornucopia L. 1 



485 Division : 

 lig. 0. herb. 1 



AgrostidecB. 

 £ 18| ft. 



201 Polypbgon Besf. 

 199 Echinopbgon Beauv. 

 902 Gastridium Beauv. 

 203 ^gr6stis L. 

 205 Trichbdium Mx. 



33 Ci'nna L. 

 20t Trichochloa Bee. 

 207 Spor6bolus B. Br. 

 184 Knapp/fl E. B. 



92 Schmidtza Trat. 

 183 Piptatherum Beauv. 



486. Division 3. Miliaceee. 

 lig. 0. herb. 9. £ 7| ft. 



181 MiUura L. *0 7 



180 Ax6nopus Beauv. 1 

 190 Monachne Beauv. 

 Ill Oryz6psis Mx. 1 



487. Division 4. Stipacece. 

 lig. 0. herb. 13. £ 9^ ft. 



195 Aristida L. 



196 Cheetkria Beauv. 1 

 194 Stipa L. *0 12 



488. Division 5. Arundinacece. 



lig. 0. herb. 18. £ l()i ft. 

 231 Calamagr6stis Adan *0 18 



