196 
ENGLISH BOTANY. 
from the base, or erect or ascending from a longly geniculate base ; 
knots glabrous. Leaves rather firm, narrowly hnear, tapering from 
the base to the apex, with numerous slender approximate scabrous 
nearly-equal ribs, pubescent with very short stiff hairs, pale glaucous- 
green; lowest sheath puberulent, with very short reflexed hairs, or 
glabrous, all except the lowest one always glabrous ; ligule very 
short, truncate. Spike erect, oblong-linear or oblong, usually nar- 
rowed upwards, cylindrical-tetragonal, slightly compressed, glaucous- 
green. Spikelets ascending, the lowest ones often spreading and 
diverging widely fi*om the rachis, in threes, the lateral ones male, the 
central one perfect. Glumes of the central floret cyhndrical -setaceous, 
attenuated into awns about twice their own length, not ciliated or 
scabrous: inner glume of the lateral florets half oval-lanceolate, 
curved towards the side of the central floret, and nearly straight on 
the side next the outer glume of the spikelet to which it belongs, 
terminated by an awn about twice its own length, and a Httle longer 
than that of the central spikelet, not ciliated or glabrous : outer glume 
of the lateral spikelets setaceous and awn-like throughout, scabrous, 
with the point of its awn equalling that of the central floret, and 
consequently a little shorter than that of the inner glume of the lateral 
spikelet. Florets all nearly sessile within their glumes. Lower pales 
of all the florets eUiptical-linear, entire, indistinctly 3-ribbed towards 
the apex, and glabrous : that of the central floret with a stout awn 
nearly twice its own length, and a little longer than that of its own 
glumes, and equalling that of the inner glume of the lateral spikelets : 
lower pale of the lateral florets with an awn of about its own length, 
and scarcely half as long as that of the central floret. 
In salt marshes and in meadows by the sea and tidal rivers, and on 
embankments and by roadsides in such localities. Ilather frequent and 
generally distributed in the south of England, reaching north to 
Cheshire and Northumberland. It has been reported from Kincardine 
on Forth, Clackmannanshire, but doubtless introduced, and from 
Forfarshire, where H. murinum was mistaken for it. In Ireland the 
authors of the " Cybele Hibemica " believe that it does not occur, and 
that a similar mistake of nomenclature has occiu-red. 
England [Scotland]. Biennial. Early Summer to Midsummer. 
Stems 2 to 18 inches high or long, erect and few when the plants 
grow Yerj close together, but decumbent for haK their length, and 
very numerous and usually shorter when the individuals are isolated. 
Leaves | to 3 inches long by -} to | inch broad, the uppermost stem 
