82 
purple. Glumes unequal, herbaceous, with broad scarious margins, 
the lower one small, 1 -ribbed, the upper one twice as long as the 
lower, and nearly as long as the florets, 3- to 5-ribbed. Lower pale 
lanceolate, gradually acuminate, terminated by 2 rather short tapering 
cusps, ultimately parchment -like, hairy or glabrous. Awn of the 
lower or male flower from about the middle of the pale, and about 
twice as long as the upper glume, bent in the middle ; awn of the 
upper or perfect floret inserted at the bottom of the notch between 
the cusps of the pale, straight, and extending but little beyond the 
pale, being about twice as long as the cusps. Axis not fragile, with a 
short tuft of hairs at the base of the florets, hairs at the base of the 
second floret about one-eighth the length of the pale. 
Yar. a, genuina. 
A. elatior, Wild. Spec. Plant. Vol. I. p. 443. 
Arrhenatiiemm elatius, Fresh Boreau, Fl. dn Centre de la Fr. ed. Ui. Vol. H. p. 703. 
Lower joints of the stem not swollen. Knots glabrous. Lower 
pale more or less hairy. 
Tar. 3, nodosum. Reich. 
A. "bhlbosa, Wilil. D. C. Fl. Fr. Yol. VT. p. 2*;i. 
Arrhenatharam bnlbosum, P;v../. Bon au, Fl. du Centre de la Fr. cd. iii. Tol. 11. 
p. 703. 
Lower joints of the stem swollen into bulblike knobs, mostly one 
above the other. Knots of the stem usually pubescent. Lower pale 
glabrous. Panicle-branches usually shorter than in var a. 
In cultivated fields, on banks, and in meadows and woods. Very 
common, and generally distributed. A'ar. 3 neurh' as common in some 
districts as the typical form, esi)ecially when the plant grows in culti- 
vated ground. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 
Stems 18 inches to (> feet high, slender, terete, smooth. Barren 
shoots less than half the Iteight of the flowering stems, but also erect ; 
leaves closer together towards the apex. Lonprest leaves G inches to 
1 foot long ; the uppermost leaf on the flowering stem 2 to 6 inches, 
the breadth \to \ inch, nearly smooth except on the margins towards 
the ba.se, but the ri>)s both above and below are slightly scabrous 
towards the apex. Panicle 4 to 10 inches long. Spikelets |- to 
inch long. 
Tar. p is remarkable for the super-imposed enlargements at the 
base of the stem, which are nearly as large as peas : the lower ones are 
