GEAMmA. 
95 
In ditches, by the margins of pools and ponds, and on wet sand ; 
rather scarce but distributed over the whole island, reaching to Ork- 
ney and Shetland. Widely distributed throughout Ireland. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Stems extensively creeping and rooting, producing long leafy barren 
branches which are often floating and sometimes attain the length of 2 
or 3 feet. Flowering stems 3 inches to 2 feet high, erect or ascending, 
leafy up to the panicle. Longest leaves 1 to 9 inches long by ^ to | 
of an inch broad, thin, slightly glaucous, the lower ones often produc- 
ing barren shoots from their axils. Panicle 1 to 10 inches long, with 
numerous spreading branches i to 3 inches long, arranged in half- 
whorls, with the branches in each whorl unequal and distantly 
branched. Spikelets j'^ to -| inch long, not contiguous. Glumes 
unequal, much shorter than the spikelets, truncate, erose-denticulate, 
often violet, the outer one much the smaller and without ribs, the 
upper one broadly obovate and 3-ribbed at the base. Outer pale 
truncate, erose and scarious at the apex, with the 3 ribs running 
into the white scarious part, greenish or yellowish olive, often tinged 
with dull purple but ha\-ing the ribs green. 
Professor Babington states that though the spikelets are usually 2- 
they are sometimes 3- to 5-flowered, but I have not seen the plant 
with more than 3-flowered spikelets. 
Sometimes, when growing on wet sand by the sea, the stems are 
only 2 or 3 inches high and the spikelets are commonly 1-flowered, 
but it seems impossible to draw a Hue of demarcation between this 
and the ordinary" form. 
Water Whorl- Grass. 
French, Catahrose aqvnthjiie. German, Wa-iser-QueUgras. 
This is said to be one of the sweetest of British grasses, the young leaves and por- 
liquorice. Waterfowl are fond of the seeds and young shoots. Cattle eat the leaves 
GENUS XXXIL—Qc L Y C E R I A . E.Br. 
Spikelets stalked, rarely subsessile, arranged in a lax panicle which 
is sometimes racemose, subcylindrical or slightly laterally compressed 
before flowering, open during flowering, each containing 4 to 20 perfect 
