ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 



109 



stream or by the broad bosom of a river, shining in its depths on a 

 summer's day than the tall plumes of the Pampas grasses making the 

 surroundings look like fairyland ? In the rock garden also the dwarf 

 varieties, such as Bromus Brizaeformis, Lasiogrostis argentea, are seen to 

 advantage when judiciously placed, and along the verge of walks some 

 may be used to advantage — Festuca glauca, Dactylis elegantissima for 

 example. At the base of a post or of an arch they are also useful, and 

 here Stipa pennata may be used. The old and well-known custom of 

 gathering these grasses for winter decorations is a popular one, and for 

 this purpose they should be well dried in the autumn and utilised with 

 everlasting flowers and the silver moons of Lunaria biennis and the tall 

 spikes of the giant reed. The well-known names of garden quaker's 

 ribbon grass, feather grass, ladies' lace windle straw, love grass, Job's 

 tears, quaking grass, pear grass, dog's tail grass, and others bring to 

 memory old-fashioned gardens in which hours of content have been spent. 



The derivation of the names of some of these grasses is very interesting ; 

 for instance, the Brizas or quaking grasses come from the Greek "Brizo," 

 to nod, so- one may infer that these grasses decorated the artistic homes 

 of ancient Greece and Rome. Eragrostis, the love grass, is also derived 

 from the Greek 'Eros,' Love, and ' agrostis,' a kind of grass. There are 

 many other interesting derivations worthy of notice and thought. 



Annuals. 



Agrostis nebulosa 

 „ laxiflora 

 „ pulchella 

 „ Stevenii 

 „ gracilis 

 Anthoxanthum gracile 

 Asprella Hystrix 

 Avena sterilis . 

 Briza geniculata 

 „ gracilis 

 „ maxima . 

 „ compact a . 

 „ rotundata 

 „ minima dwarf 

 Brizopyrum siculum 

 Bromus Brizaeformis 



„ macrostachys . 



„ lanuginosus . 



„ madritensis . 



„ patulus nanus (new) 

 Chloris barbata (Finger-grass) 



„ elegans ... 

 Chrysurus aurea 

 Coix lacryma-Jobi (Job's tears) 

 Cryptopyrum Bichardsoni 



Very fine for bouquets. 

 Pretty. 



Pretty dwarf species. 

 Tall, beautiful. 

 Very elegant. 

 Pretty, graceful. 



The animated oat. 



A spreading species. 



Small quaking grass. 



Large quaking grass. 



Compact habit, very fine and pretty. 



Very ornamental. 



A beautiful grass with elegant hanging 

 ears. 



Useful for decoration. 

 Very pretty. 



Charming, very fine for dyeing. 



Very pretty. 



Bearded spikes. 



Elegant and slender. 



Dense golden spikes. 



Curious. 



