— Westmoreland; On limestone rocks about Conzick Scar near Kendal : Mr. 
Couch. At rhe top of Barrowfield Wood near Kendal: Mr. Woodward. 
Scout Scar: Nicholson, in New Hot. Guide. — Yorkshire ; About Settle: 
Curtis. Limestone rocks at Ingleborouj;li, and Ingleton : Teesdai.e. Macker- 
straw Wood by Ripon: Mr. Brunton. Near Bolton Abbey : Rev. W. Wood. 
Wensleydale: Mr. Jami s Ward, in N. B. G. By the Ebbing and Flowing 
Well, Settle; Kilsoe ; Malham ; and other limestone rocks: N. J. Winch, 
Esq. On most of the lime rocks in Craven: Mr. Calf.y. — SCOTLAND. On 
the Highland mountains, common. Plentiful on Ben Lomond: Sir W. J. 
Hooker. — IRELAND. On Ben Bulben, and other limestone mountains near 
Sligo: Mr. Mackay. 
Perennial. — Flowers in April and May. 
Root forming dense tufts, fibres strong and wirey. Culm (stem) 
about a span high, in gardens often much higher, simple, some- 
what decumbent at the base, afterwards ascending, smooth, the 
upper part usually naked, the lower invested by a long sheath, 
ending in a short leaf. Leaves rather firm, strap-shaped, striated, 
single-ribbed, keeled, bluntish ; the edges very rough, as is the 
keel also near the apex. Sheath short. Stipula very small, some- 
times scarcely perceptable. Panicle resembling a spike, upright, 
from half an inch to an inch long, somewhat oblong-egg-shaped, of 
a greyish or lead colour, sometimes purplish. Spihelcls generally 
in pairs, oblong-egg-shaped, the lower ones with an egg-shaped, 
fringed, and toothed bractea (floral-leaf) at the base. Glumes 
( calyx-valves J (fig. 1.) egg-spear-shaped, fringed on the margins 
and the keel, and ending in an awn-like point. Palece ( valves of 
the corolla J (see fig. 2.) egg-oblong ; the outer valve ribbed, slightly 
downy, fringed or jagged, with 3 or 5 teeth, the middle tooth 
lengthened into a short awn (see fig. 2, a.) ; the inner valve (see 
fig. 2, h.) fiat, cloven, with indexed margins, downy at the outer 
edges. Anthers large, yellow, tipped with purple. 
This very elegant Grass is a native of several parts of Europe, 
flourishing, according to Dr. Walker, to the height of two or 
three thousand feet among its native mountains. It was first 
noticed as British by Mr. Ray, who received it from Mr. Petiver, 
to whom it was sent, out of the North, by Mr. Fitz-Ro berts. — 
“ The light spiked head of this plant,” says Mr. Knapp, “ placed 
at the end of a long flexile stalk, fits it for constant motion, and in 
its alpine station it seems the sport of every wind that blows.” — 
“ The epithet ‘ caerdlea,’ ” observes the same author, “ is but a 
poor appellation for this Grass, viewed as a native of Britain ; in 
continental specimens it is more opposite ; the leaves have no 
shading of blue on them, and the little azure hue of the corolla 
cannot well deserve to characterize a species*” — According to Mr. 
Sinclair’s experiments and observations on this plant, it is the 
best of the alpine grasses ; yet he considers it unworthy of culti- 
vation. — It is said to be particularly liked by sheep, and that it may 
be used for the fattening of mutton, but it makes the wool coarse. 
* Sir James Edward Smith observes, in English Botany, thht “ the spike 
varies in colour, but that some of our native specimens are as blue as any from 
abroad.” 
