By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 



299 



L F. sciuro'ides, (Roth.) barren or Squirrel-tail Fescue-grass. F. 

 bromo'ides, Sm. Engl. Bot. t. 1411. 



Locality. Dry pastures, and on walls. A. FL June, July. Area 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Distributed throughout all the Districts, but not of 

 very frequent occurrence. Stems slender, 6 to 12 inches high, bent 

 at some of the lowest joints ; leafy about the lower part, naked, 

 erect, angular and very smooth above. Leaves few in number, nar- 

 row, and more or less involute, as in all the plants of this section, 

 afford no distinctive character. Inflorescence erect, the branches 

 rather spreading" when in full flower, but contracted before and after- 

 wards except the lowermost, which is often compound, much longer, 

 and stands out from the others. Outer glume always conspicuous 

 though differing greatly in comparative length. A pale, smooth, 

 slender, magnificent grass, of short duration, at least after flower- 

 ing. 



2. F. ovina, (Linn.) Sheep's Fescue-grass. Engl. Bot, t. 585. 

 Tarn. Gr. t. 56, 57. 



Locality. In dry, open, elevated pastures. P. FL June. Area, 

 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Frequent in all the Districts, Plant growing in dense 

 tufts, with numerous very slender leaves. Stems 3 to 12 inches 

 high. Panicle erect, one-sided, loose and spreading when in flower^ 

 afterwards compact, 1 or 2 inches or more in length. Spikelets 

 ovate, spreading in two rows, 4 to 6-flowered. Ligule bilobate, one 

 lobe longer than the other. This species varies considerably in 

 aspect according to situation. (3 F. duriuscula, (Linn.) Engl. Bot. 

 t. 470, a variety of the above, is often frequent in moist pastures, 

 where it attains 1 foot or more in height. Stems round except at the 

 upper part, stouter than those of most forms of F. ovina. Radical 

 leaves tufted, slender, but not bristle-like ; those of the stem usually 

 expanded. Inflorescence from 2 to 4 inches long ; the lower branches 

 of the panicle longer, so as to give it a pyramidal, rather than an 

 ovate outline. Spikelels 5 to 7-flowered. The square stem con- 

 sidered as a marked feature of distinction between this form and 

 F. ovina, is not to be depended upon, the angles being fre- 

 quently obsolete, or only traceable immediately below the inflores- 

 cence. 



