Air A aquatica. Sweet -tasted Water Air a. 
AIR A Linnai Gen. PI. Triandria Digynia. 
Cal. 2 valvis, 2 florus. Flofculi abfque interjeCto rudimento. 
Pali Syn. Gen. 27. Herb.® graminifoli® flore imperfecto culmifer®. 
AIRA aquatica panicula patente, floribus muticis laevibus calyce longioribus, foliis planis. Linnai Syfl. 
Veget ab. p. 96. FI. Suecic. No. 68. 
POA locuftis bifloris ; glabris, florali gluma majori plicata, ferrata. Baller hijl. No. 1471. 
AIRA aquatica Scopoli FI. Carniol. 94. Hudfon FI. Angi. 29. 
AIRA culmo inferiore repente, flofculis muticis calyce longioribus, altero pedunculato. Roy. lugdb. 60. 
GRAMEN caninum fupinum paniculatum dulce. Bauhin Pin. 2. 
GRAMEN miliaceum aquaticum. Rati Syn. 402. Scheuz. agr. 218. 
GRAMEN miliaceum fluitans fuavis faporis. Merret. Pin. 
RADIX perennis. 
CULMUS bafi repit, furculofque emittit more Feftucas 
fluitantis qui longe excurrunt et ad geniculos 
radiculas plures albas dimittunt ; culmusdemum 
erigitur, pedalis circiter, teres, ereCtus, fiftulo- 
fus, tener. 
FOLIA latiufcula, tenera, lasvia, carinata, vaginae ftria- 
tae, ad bafin rubrae praecipue in furculis. 
PANICULA ereCta, diffufa, laxa, racemi plures ex 
uno punCto, faepe flexuofi. 
SPICULjE plerumque biflores,, flofculo uno feflili, alte- 
ro pedunculato, purpurei, apicibus albidis, /g. 1. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inaequalibus, pur- 
pureis, laevibus, Corolla multo brevioribus,^-. 2. 
COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvulis aequalibus, fub- 
truncatis, plicatis live angulatis, fig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria capillaria, longitudine 
Corollae; Anthers flavae, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum; Styli duo plumofi, 
fig. 4- 
NECTARIUM Glumul® duae minimae ad bafin 
Germinis, fig. 5. 
SEMEN ovatum, intra Glumas arCte claufum, fig. 7. 
ROOT perennial. 
STALK creeps at bottom, and fends out young fhoot3 
like the Flote Fefcue grafs, which run out to 
a confiderable diftance, and fend down fmall 
white roots at the joints ; it then becomes ereCt, 
grows to about a foot in height, is round, hol- 
low, and tender. 
LEAVES broadilh, tender, fmooth, carinated, the 
(heaths ftriated, red at bottom, particularly 
in the young Ihoots. 
PANICLE upright, lpreading, loofe ; branches feve- 
ral, proceeding from one point, frequently 
crooked. 
SPICUL/E generally contain two flowers, one of which 
is ieflile, and the other Hands on a foot-ftalk, 
purple, the tips white, fig. 1 . 
CALYX : a Glume of two valvess the valves unequal, 
purple, fmooth, and much Ihorter than the 
Corolla, fig. 2 
COROLLA : a Glume of two valves, the valves equal, 
as if cut off at top, folded or angular, fig. 3. 
STAMINA : three capillary Filaments the length of 
the Corolla; An ther® yellow, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oval ; Styles two and fea- 
thery, fig. 4. 
NECTARY two very minute Glumes at the bottom of 
the Germen, fig. 5. 
SEED oval, clofely contained within the Glumes, 7. 
The fame foil and fituation which produces the Fefiuca fluitans, is productive alfo of this grafs ; they both grow 
in gently flowing ftreams, or in wet boggy meadows ; this circumftance may ferve among others to diftinguilh the 
Air a aquatica from fome of the Pods, with which at firft fight the young botanift might eafily confound it: it has 
however befides this, many other characters which point it out more obvioufly. The bottom of the ftalk ufually 
creeps on the ground, and when it gets into the water, it runs out like the Fefiuca fluitans to a confidqrable diftance, 
throwing off roots and young ftioots as it pafles along, very much in the manner of that grafs : the ftalk grows about 
a foot or more in height, is hollow, and remarkably tender ; the leaves are broader than any of the Poa's , ex- 
cept the Poa aquatica , which is in every refpeCt a much ftronger plant : but what more efpecially characterizes this 
grafs, is the purple or blueifh colour of the Panicles, which is difcernible even at a diftance; and the fweet tafte .of 
the flowers if drawn through the mouth, whence this grafs has acquired the name of dulce. Its parts of fructification 
likewife above deferibed, diftinguifh it very ftrongly : when dried and placed between papers, the flowers and feeds 
are very apt to fall off. 
It flowers in June and July, and may be found almoft every where in the fituations above-mentioned. 
With refpeCt to its ules in rural oeconomy, it is in every refpeCt inferior to the Flote fiefeue grafis, confequently 
not worth cultivating for the ufe of cattle. 
In a country like ours, where cultivation has made a confiderable progrefs, the water plants are confined to a fmall 
fpace compared to what they occupied in a ftate of nature ; the draining of bogs and lakes has rendered many large 
trafts in feveral parts of the kingdom, capable of producing corn and grafs adapted to the ufe of cattle, which, were 
formerly inacceffible to man or beaft. We ought not however to look on this or any other plant as made in vain, be- 
caufe we do not immediately fee the ufes they are applied to : feveral forts of water-fowl which abound in uninhabited 
countries, are expert gatherers of the feeds of the aquatic grajfes ; and no lefs than five different fpecies of Mufici or 
Flies , were produced from a few handfuls of the feeds of this grafs, which when I gathered it, were doubtlefs in their 
Pupa or Chryfalis flate : How little do we know of natures productions ! 
