198 
ENGLISH BOTANY. 
On heaths, moors, and in sterile pastures, especially in upland 
districts. Locally common and widely distributed. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Densely ciespitose, each tussock consisting of numerous tufts densely 
arranged m a chordorrhizal manner; each tuft is enveloped at the base 
by a few dilated lanceolate leafless sheaths, so as to be somewhat 
bulbous, and to bear some resemblance to those of Juncus squarrosus 
in rmmature. Leaves chiefly radical, thickly setaceous, ridd, 2 to 9 
inches long, spreading; sheaths 1 to 4 inches long, thSse of the 
radical leaves aU of the same length; Hgule elongate, truncate on 
the radical leaves, longer and lanceolate, and bifid on the stem 
eaves^ Flowering stems 4 to 18 inches long, wiry, usually leaf- 
less above the level of the sheaths of the radical leaves but 
sometunes with a single leaf similar to the radical ones, but smaller 
and scarcely so long as its sheath, which is split only at the apex, 
spites to 4 inches long, unilateral. Spikelets adpressed to the 
rachis distichously unilateral, each with a minute scale at the base, 
probably representing an abortive bract, for, from its position opposite 
he lower pale, it cannot be the oute.^ glume, as in that case 
the inner glume would be entirely abortive, while, so far as I know, 
L^r ^K present, it is always the inner one, and 
besides, there IS no appearance of articulation of this scale to the 
rachis. _ Spikelets purple, about i inch long, exclusive of the awn, 
which IS from i to i mch more. Lower pale sukdate, acuminate 
semicyhndncal, scabrous on the edges, and terminated by a shori 
scabrous a^vn. Lpper pale linear, erose at the apex, not awned, 
hyaline, nearly as long as the lower (exclusive of its awn) entire 
^e^rtL'^afef '"^^^^ ^'^''y ^ '^'^^^^^^ 
Mat- Grass. 
French, Nard wide. German, Sfehes Borstenaras. 
EXCLUDED SPECIES. 
DIGITARIA SANGUINALIS. Pal. de Eeauv. 
An introduced casual, not persistent in its stations and less so than 
formerly, for it appears to have been at one time found year after 
year in Battersea Fields. 
DIGITARIA CILIAEIS. Pal de Beauv. 
Kear Bury, Lancashire, Dr. Carrington. 
