GRAMINA. 
3 
Brockenhurst Bridge. In several places by the side of the Mole, 
Surrey, from East Moulsey to Brockham Bridge, and by the canal 
near Woking Station, Surrey. 
England. Perennial. Late Autumn. 
Rootstock extensively creeping, producing small tufts of stems and 
long white scaly stolons. Stems erect or somewhat decumbent and 
subgeniculate at the base, cylindrical, smooth with downy nodes, 
simple or sparingly branched near the base, 9 inches to 4 feet high. 
Leaves numerous, flat, 3 inches to 1 foot long by | to i inch broad, 
gradually acuminated, pale green, thin, rough, with bristles on the mar- 
gins, and on the midrib beneath, especially towards the base. Sheaths 
covering the internodes and frequently even the nodes, rough. Ligule 
short, about half as long as broad, olunt, erose-denticulate. Panicle 
2 to 9 inches long, frequently remaining permanently included in the 
slightly swollen sheath of the uppermost leaf, but sometimes wholly 
exserted : in the former case, the spikelets are nearly all perfect ; in 
the latter, some or even all of them have occasionally the ovary 
abortive. Rachis striated, rough; panicle branches, especially the 
ultimate ones, capillary, flexuous, rough. Spikelets very shortly 
stalked, articulated to the pedicels, -|- to i inch long. Glumes absent. 
Lower pale much more curved than the upper, and abruptly acu- 
minated into a short blunt point, nearly white and transparent with 
a green stripe along the lateral rib, which is nearer to the margin 
than to the keel, minutely pubescent, with, longer hairs along the 
marains, lateral ribs, and keel, especially on the latter ; upper pale 
linear, a little longer than the lower, strongly ciliated on the keel, 
especially towards the apex. Stamens sometimes only 2 in the sub- 
male florets. 
I have never seen this plant growing wild except by the banks of 
the Mole. There the panicle is generally included, but in some 
seasons it is fully exserted. In cultivation in a tank in the greenhouse 
at Balmuto the panicle has never been exserted. 
As it has been frequently remarked, Leersia oryzoides bears a 
striking resemblance to small specimens of Digraphis arundinacea. It 
is, however, of a yellower green and much rougher in its foliage, 
and by this may be readily known when not in flower, or when the 
spikelets are enclosed in the uppermost leaf-sheath. 
European Cut-Grass. 
French, n jh //:. German, Wikh r E,-;.. 
Tribe IL— ' 
Spikelets closed during fl- ' 
unilateral rows on the branch ■ 
