128 
Var. 7, suhccerulea. Sm. 
Plate JMDCCLXXII. 
P. subcsnilea, Sm. Engl. Bot. ed. i. No. 1004. 
Leaves of the barren shoots as broad as those of the stem, short, 
flat, slightly glaucous or purplish. Panicle deltoid-pyramidal, com- 
monly rather few-flowered, open after flowering. 
Var. stn'gosa. Gaud. 
Leaves of the barren shoots much narrower than those of the stem, 
at length convolute, sHghtly glaucous or purplish. Panicle oblong, 
closed after flowering. 
In meadows, pastures, cultivated ground, and waste places; very 
common and universally distributed. Var. (3 chiefly in woods and 
shady places. Yar. y in dry places, especially wall-tops and stony 
ground and on mountains. Var. 8 on wall-tops and stony and sandy 
places. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Var. a has the stems 9 inches to 2 feet high, longest leaves 4 to 
8 inches long by to ^ inch broad. Panicle 2 to 5 inches ; spikelets 
about i inch; florets yV i^^ch, green, or slightly tinged with dufl 
purple. 
Var. 3 has the stems 1 to 2 feet high, leaves of the barren shoots 
6 inches to 1 foot long by to ^ inch broad, those of the stem 
shorter and i to ^ inch broad. Panicle 3 to 6 inches long. Spikelets 
and florets about the same size as in var. a, or a little smaller, green. 
Var. 7 has the stems 3 to 8 inches high, the longest leaves 1 to 3 inches 
long by I inch broad, the uppermost stem leaf much hooded, so as to 
be boat-shaped. Panicle 1 to 2 inches long. Spikelets broader in 
proportion than in vars. a and 0, always more or less tinged with 
purple. 
Var. 8 has the stems 6 to 18 inches high, leaves of the barren 
shoots 2 to 9 inches long, very narrow and quite convolute when dry. 
Panicle 1|- to 4 inches long. Spikelets rather smaller than in the 
other varieties, more or less tinged with purple. 
A very variable plant, but readily distinguished by its numerous 
stolons, smooth sheaths with the upper one much longer than its leaf, 
short subtruncate ligule, and Yery acute lower pale with its ribs very 
conspicuous when dry. 
Smooth Meadow- Grass. 
French. F.lh>dn ^r^s. norraan, TT.- ■^r:..Tu.->i-.,mgras. 
