ENGLISH BOTANY. 
usually more or less slightly arching, lax, one-half to one-fourth of the 
whole stem. Eachis rather firm, glabrous, smooth on the angles, 
readily breaking across at the nodes when dry. Spikelets adpressed 
to the rachis, 4- to 8-flowered, as long as or a little longer than the 
internodes but not equalling 2 internodes, ultimately linear-elliptical, 
slightly compressed. Glumes half to three-fourths the length of the 
spikelets, obtuse truncate or subapiculate, with a smooth indistinct 
keel. Pales obtuse, obhquely-truncate or notched, apiculate, not 
awned. Axis of the spikelets puberulent, with the internodes greatly 
enlarged upwards. 
On sandy sea-shores, and on dunes where there is loose sand; 
common and generally distributed, extending north to Orkney. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial, Summer, Autumn. 
Stems 6 inches to 2 feet high. Leaves 2 to 8 inches long by | to 
i inch broad, very glaucous. Spike 2 to 9 inches long. Spikelets f 
to li inch long. _ Florets f to | inch long. 
Very similar in habit to T. acutum, but with the leaves narrower 
and ultimately much more involute, thicker, or even somewhat fleshy, 
with the ribs fewer, much more prominent, and more cartilaginous, 
and densel}^ clothed with a pUe of very short white hairs, the upper 
surface more glaucous. The rachis is remarkable for the facility with 
which it ultimately breaks across at the nodes, thus separatino- into 
internodes, with the spikelets attached to their apex. The *?lumes 
have fainter and more numerous ribs. The pales are more obtuse, 
and commonly more or less notched, and the apiculus is shorter.' 
The whole plant is usually more glaucous, especially the upper side 
of the leaves and the spikelets. 
Sand Couch-Grass. 
GENUS XZ//.-L O L I U M. Linn. 
Spikelets quite sessile, solitary. arrang(,-d liitornately edgeways to 
its rachis in a distichous simple spike, laterally compressed, flat on 
both sides, open during flowering, each containing 3 to 20 perfect 
florets. Glumes 2 in the terminal floret, nearly equal : in all the lateral 
florets only 1, placed on the side of the spikelet away from the rachis 
sometimes with a very minute rudimentary one on the side next the 
racliis. coTicavp. rounded on the back, obtuse or acute, not awned sub- 
herl - : n - lower one rounded on the back, with or without 
oil the summit, subherbaceous. Upper pale 2- 
to a ious. Lodicules 2, entire or lobed. Stamens 
