( 68 .) 
P I I L E' U M * *. 
Linnean Class and Order. TuiA'NDRiAf, Digy'nia. 
Natural Order. GrAmi'.ne.C, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 28. — Lind. 
Syn. p. 293 : Introd. to Nat. Syst. p. 292. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 
393. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 68. Eng. FI. v. i. p. 71. — Loud. Hort. 
Brit. p. 542. 
Gen. Char. Panicle contracted, spike-like. Calyx (fig. 1.) of 
2 nearly equal, compressed, clasping, parallel, pointed, or awned, 
more or less abrupt, glumes, spreading at the top, and containing a 
single floret (tig. 3). Corolla of 2 unequal, mostly awnless, paiea.-, 
concealed within the calyx, always remaining membranous ; the 
larger valve or pelea clasping the smaller. Filaments 3, hair-like. 
Anthers strap-shaped, prominent, cloven at each end. Germen 
roundish. Styles 2, (fig. 4 ) thread-shaped, spreading. Stigmas 
feathery. Seeds elliptic-oblong, loose. 
Distinguished from other genera in the same class and order by 
the compact spike-like panicle, the calyx of 2 close, parallel, pointed 
glumes, concealing the corolla of 2 awnless paiea. 1 , and the loose 
seed. 
Six species British. 
PHLE'UM PRATE'NSE. Common Cat’s-tail-grass. Timothy- 
grass. 
Spec. Char. Panicle spiked, cylindrical. Calyx-glumes blunt, 
fringed at the back. .Awns shorter than the glumes. 
Kng. Rot. tab. 1076 — Host’s leones ct Desciiptiones Graminium Austriaoo- 
rum, v. iii. p. 7. t. 9. — Schreber’s Beschreibuug des Griiser, t. 14. f. 1, and 2. — 
Knapp’s Gram, Biit. t. 6. (apparently var. minor.) — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 87. — 
lluds. FI. Angl. (2nd dil.) p.25. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p 68. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 
75. — With. (7tli ed ) v. ii. p. 147. — Lindl. Syn. p. 300. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 29. 
— (iray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. ’p. 139. — Mart. FI. Bust. t. 5.— Leers’ FI. Herb. (2nd 
ed.) p. 16. I. 3. f. 1. — Sinel. Hort. Gram. Wobuin. p. 19. f. 5. and p. 195, with 
a figure. — Siblli. l’l. Oxon. p. 34. — Abbot’s FI. liedf. p. 13. — Purl. Midi. FI. v. 
1. p. 67. — Kelli. FI. Cantab (3rd ed.) p. 26. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 23. — Grev. 
FI. E<lin. p. 15. — Johnston’s FI. of Berwick v. i. p. 18. — FI. Devon, pp. II. 
and 120. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 16. — Sinclair in llaxt. Lib. of Agricul and llort. 
Knowl. (2nded.) p. 302, with a figure . — G rumen typhinum majus seu pri- 
mum. Bay’s Syn. p.398. 
Localities. — M oist meadows, and pastures. Common. 
Perennial. — Flowers from June to August. 
Root somewhat creeping. Culm ( StemJ from 2 to 4 feet high, 
knotty, upright, round, striated, leafy, except near the top. Leaves 
spear-shaped, flat, pointed, roughish on the upper surface and 
along the nerves ; with long, close, striated sheaths, and a small 
blunt stipula. Panicle upright, cylindrical, blunt at the top, some- 
times 5 or 6 inches long, composed of innumerable crowded flowers, 
on very short, subdivided, partial stalks. Glumes of the Calyx 
very much compressed, hairy, green or purplish, keeled, the keel 
Figs. 1. CSc 2. Calyx Glumes closed. — Fig. 3. The same expanded, showing the 
Pale® or Corolla, the three Stamens and two Pistils. — Fig. 4. Germen, Styles, 
and Stigmas.— Fig. 5. A small portion of the root. 
* From Phleos, Gr. the name formerly given, as is supposed, to the Iieed- 
mace , Typha, to which this grass has some distant resemblance. — Dr. Hooklk. 
t See Alopeturus pratensis, p. 45. note t. 
