64 
ENGLISH BOTANY. 
shorter than its sheath; sheaths smooth or nearly so; hgule long, acute, 
laciniate. Panicle lax or rather lax, pyramidal, drooping at the apex, 
open while in flower and more or less so after flowering; panicle- 
hranches slender, spreading, and the longer ones often slightly recurved, 
rough or smooth. Spikelets numerous, on thick pedicels, shorter than 
the spikelets. Lower pale truncate and with 4 small teeth at the apex. 
Awn dorsal, from near the hase or above middle of the pale, slightly in- 
curv^ed, not distinctly twisted at the base, rarely extending beyond the 
pale, and never more than one-fourth beyond it, scarcely exceeding the 
glumes. Second floret shortly stipitate ; third floret reduced to a 
pedicel with a small apical tuft of hairs resembling that at the base of 
the two perfect florets. 
Sub-Species I.— Aira caDspitosa. Linn. 
Plate MDCCXXX. 
Eeich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. I. Tab. XCYI. Figs. 185 to 189. 
Billot, Fl. GaU. et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1587. « 
Panicle -branches all spreading or slightly reflexed, rough. Glumes 
rough on the keel. Awn from immediately above the base of the pale, 
and usually slightly exceeding it. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Leaves long, ultimately slightly arching outwards. Panicle large, 
very lax. Spikelets small, silvery -grey or yellowish- white. 
Var. 3, hrevifolia. Pamell. 
Leaves short, straight. Panicle smaller and more compact than in 
vai'. a ; the spikelets a little larger, purplish-lead- colour with whitish 
margins. 
Yar. 7, Psend-aljjina. 
Leaves short, srrjiight. Panicle similar to that of var. 0, but 
with smoother panicle-branches. Spikelets larger, pale olive, often 
thiged with purph>h lead-colour or green, usually if not always vivi- 
parous. 
"N'ar. a in meadows and moist woods and by roadsides. Common, 
and generally distributed. Var. 3 in upland districts and on moun- 
tains. Common, Var. 7 on mountains, but rather scarce. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Var. a has the rootstock densely cicspitose. Radical leaves 1 to 2 
