ENGLISH BOTANY. 
the back from the middle to the apex. Outer pale about two-thirds 
the length of the lower glume, narrowly truncate, and with 2 minute 
teeth at the apex. Awn usually absent ; when present, from below 
the middle of the pale and extending about two-thirds the length of 
the pale beyond its apex. Upper pale about two-thirds the length 
of the lower one. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Feirh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. I. Tab. LXXV. Fig. 13. 
Stems tall, at least five or six times as long as the panicle. 
Var. |3, pumila. 
Rmch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. I. Tab. LXXV. Fig. 132. 
A. pumila, Linn. Mant. I. p. 31. B.C. Fl. Fr. Vol. III. p. 22. 
Stems very short, as long as to thrice as long as the panicle. Leaves 
narrower ; sjjikelets smaller ; and glumes broader than in var. a. 
On dry heaths and pastures, and by roadsides. Common and 
universally distributed. Yar. 3 chiefly "in hilly district.s and dry 
sandy places, from Somerset and Kent north to Skye and Aberdeen, 
and probably extending still farther north. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 
Very similar to A. alba, with which it is often confounded, but it may 
be readily distinguished by its panicle being open not only during flower- 
ing, but afterwards, and by the trichotomous divisions of the'panicle- 
brsinches being more divaricate. The spikelets are smaller, about yV> 
inch long, the glumes commonly purplish-brown, rarely pale green". 
The lower ])ale is shorter in proportion to the lower irlunie, and the 
upper pale shorter in proj)ortion to the lower pale. Tile plant usually 
grows in denser tufts, and the stolons when present are shorter and 
less straggling, never floating. The leaf-sheaths are perfectly smooth, 
and do not present the slight roughness which those of A. alba do 
when the fingers are passed over them downwards. The ligule is only 
about half the length and much blunter, the stems are rarely above a 
foot high, and 1 have never seen them more than 18 inches. The 
panicle in var. a is from 1 to 4 inches long by f to 21 inches broad. The 
uppermost stem leaf is from 2 to 3 inches long. 
In var. 6 the stem is from 1 to 4 inches high. Panicle h to 1 i inch 
long by 1 to •] inch hi'oad. The spikelets are sometimes' not ~more 
than inch long, always brown, the up[)ernK)st lenf to 1 indi 
long, u>ua'l; ' ^ ■ , " T , ■ ^' \ .■ apuenv 
to be usual i\- - ^ ■ ■ ' ^ 
