85 
the leaves appear to be radical. Leaves broadly linear, thin, flaccid, 
flat, with numerous slightly unequal thick slightly prominent ribs per- 
manently pubescent, ciliated, but not rough on the margins ; sheaths 
pubescent ; ligule short, oblong. Knots of the stem scarcely more 
pubescent than the sheaths. Panicle erect, open during the time 
of flowering, closed before and partially closed after it ; panicle- 
branches short, branched, thinly hairy. Glumes unet[ual, subobtuse, 
both shortly awned, longer than the flowers, finely pul)escent, ciliated 
with stiff hairs on the keel, the upper one larger than the lower, ovate- 
oblonf and acute in profile, with the lateral ribs about equidistant from 
the keel and the inner margin. Lower pale of the lower or perfect 
floret glabrous, shining, not awned. Lower pale of the upper or male 
floret shining, awned. Awn from about one-fourth from the apex of 
the pale, and about half as long again as the pale, at first slightly 
eurved and extending a little beyond the glumes, ultimately hooked 
and included within the glumes, smooth throughout, or scabrous only 
at the apex. Axis without hairs at the base of the upper or male 
floret. 
In meadows, pastures, woods, hedges, &c. Common, and univer- 
sally distributed. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Plant growing in dense tufts. Flowering steni>^ I to '2 feet high. 
Leaves 6 Indies to 1 foot long, by I to broad, whitish on account of 
the copious pubescence with which they are clothed. Panicle 2 to 5 
inches long, very similar to that of H. mollis, but more pyramidal 
when in flower. ' Spikelets i inch long, white, often tinged with pink. 
Anthers dark purple. 
Eeadily distinguishable from the ver^- similar H. mollis by being 
densely coBspitose, without elongate barren stems; by the leaves and 
sheaths being copiously pubescent; by the larger glume b(nng broader 
antl not acuminate but more abru[)tly mucronate or shortly awned ; 
and Listlv. by the avm of the upper "floret being ultimately hooked 
and included witiiin the glumes. 
