Anthoxanthum odoratum. Sweet-scented 
or Vernal Grass. 
ANTHOXANTHUM Linnai Gen. PI, Diandria Digynia. 
Calyx. Gluma bi valvis, uniflora. Corolla. Gluma bivalvis, acu- 
minata. Semen unicum. 
Raii Synop. Gen. 27. Herba: graminifolia: flore imperfecto culmifera:. 
ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum fpica oblonga, ovata, laxa. 
ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum fpica oblonga, ovata, flofculis fubpedunculatis arifta longioribus, Linnai Syjl. 
Vege tab. p. 67. FI. Suecic. No. 33. 
AVENA diantha, folliculo villofo, calycis glumis inaequalibus, altera de imo dorfo, altera de fummo 
ariftala. Haller, hijl. helv. No. 1491- 
ANTHOXANTHUM odoratum Scopoli FI. Carniol. No. 38. Hudfon FI. Angi. p. 10. Stillingjleet mifcel, 
. t. 1. Schreber Gram. tab. 5. p. 49. 
GRAMEN pratenfe fpica flavefeente. Bauhin. Pin. 3. 
GRAMEN vernum fpica brevi laxa. Raii Syn. 389. Scheuch. hijl. 88. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CULMI primum obliqui, demum eredi, dodrantales aut 
pedales. 
FOLIA inter digitos attrita odorem Afperulae odorat* 
fpargunt, plerumque pubefeentia, f* pe leniter 
tortuofa, membrana ad bafin inftruda, Vagina 
ftriata, l*vis. 
SPICAE oblongo-ovat*, lax*. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, Valvulis inaequalibus, infe- 
riore dimido breviore, membranacea, acuta, 
fuperiore acuminata, neryis tribus viridibus ex- 
tantibus, jig. 3, 2. 
COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvulae fubaequales, mem- 
branaceae, pilofee ariftat*, fufeae ; altera Arifla 
qu* demum geniculata fit, prope bafin qxlurgit, 
altera prope apicem, Jig. 4, 
NEOTARIUM : Glumula: du*, pellucid*, nitidae, 
ovat*, in*quales, germen includentes , jig. 5, 6. 
STAMINA: Filamenta duo pr*longa ; Anthera: 
oblong*, purpure*, utrinque furcat*, jig. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen minimum oblongo-ovatum ; 
Styli duo JUijonnes glumi longiores, verfus a- 
picem plumulof*, Jig. 7. 
SEMEN qnicum, Nedario fufeo, nitido, inclufum,/^ .8. 
ROOT perennial and fibrous. 
STALKS at firft: growing obliquely, finally becoming up-? 
right, ufually from 8 to 12 inches high. 
LEAVES, if rubbed betwixt the fingers, fmelling like 
WoodrofF, generally pubefeent and often curled, 
furnifhed with a membrane at bottom ; the 
Sheath ftriated and fmooth. 
SPIKES of an oblong oval fhape and fmooth. 
CALYX: a Glume of two Valves, the Valves unequal, 
the lowermoft fhorter by one half, membranous 
and acute; the uppermoft acuminated, with 
three ftrong nerves or ribs, jig. 3, 2. 
COROLLA : a Glume of two Valves, the Valves near- 
ly equal, membranous, hairy, of a brown colour, 
and furnilhed with Arifl:*, one of the Arifl*, 
which finally becomes bent, fprings from the 
bafe of the Valve, the other almoft at the top, 
fig- 4 - 
NECTARIUM : two fmall, pellucid, fhining, oval, un- 
equal Glumes or Valves inclojing the Germen t 
fig- 5 > 6 - 
STAMINA: two Filaments very long; Anthera: 
long, purple, forked at each end, fig. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen very fmall, of an oblong oval 
fhape; Styles two, Jlender, longer than the 
valves, and towards the top a little feathered, 
fig- 7 : 
SEED Angle, inclofed within its brown, fhining Neda- 
rium, jig. 8. 
^Fthoxanthum is diftinguifhed from the other Grafles by a very Angular circumftance, viz. that of having only 
two Stamina, Jig. 1. hence it is placed by Linnaus among the Diandrous plants, and feparated from all the other 
oialles ; this peculiarity, although it occafions a feparation which does violence as it were to Nature yet it ferves in 
a very finking manner to difcriminate this Genus from a numerous and difficult tribe of plants : exclufive of this Angu- 
lari y, it differs alfo very eflentially m the other parts of its fructification ; each of the Spicul* contains in common 
with many other grafles, only one flower, fig. 1: one of the GW Calycime, or valves of the Calyx, is fmall and 
membranous,/^ 3; the other is large, and indoles, or wraps up in it, as it were, the whole of the fructification, 
Jg. 2, thefe glumes, fo far as I have obferved, do not open and expand themfelves in the manner obfervable in the 
1 h 1 W 7 r 0the rT ere the F ^parate quite wide, andexpofe their little feathery Styles ; but the Stamina 
^ ^P^^emrelyMom.lhe gkmcsremamrng clofed, fg. The Gluma Corollaceee are vety dif- 
fimilar to thofe or moft othei grafles, being remarkably hairy, andhaving each of them an Arifla, the longeft of which 
fprings from near the bafe of the glome, is at firft ftraight, but as the feed becomes ripe, the top of it is giieralJbent 
horizontally inward ; the other Arifta anfes from near the top of the oppofite Glume or Valve fig- f Th/ Chi 
mul* Nebiaru or little Glumes of the Nedarium, differ no lefs in their ftrudure, being compofed *of two fittle Sal 
Iffl If’ ““t f T 1S G?' 1 " the , 0ther ; thefc dofel y embrace thc Germ “. md cannot be feen bl« with 
great difficulty, unlefs they are obferved mil: at the time that the Anthera: are protruding from betwixt them when 
they are very diftinft Jig. 6 ; as foon as the Anthera: are excluded, they again clofe on the Germen, and continue to 
form a coat to the feed which does not feparate. Jig j 8 ’ ana continue to 
bvTt h s e flT ei;, f?f h l 0fe Wh ° - 1V L^ t n bem - : aCC ! fto “ ed examine P knts minutely may readily diftinguifli this grafs 
lCe f ”ld hta® ed™ ' ’ fi ° SCrS - theJ '"P" 1 3 odourlike 4 of Woldruff.Jhlnce 
foil that is moderately drv. It is fubieft like aU “ f eneral to P re fer a 
tag!! 1 in tS:t n abouS ^ cpnfiderable advan- 
th? circumftance moft in its favour, i “ hott ° m ; b "' 
to fow with others in laying down meadow land.and probably the pfatrmiJh^ t0 ^ pr0per S rals 
Fejluca elatior or Meadow Fefcue joined to it, would form l mixture the nrodnrf of Meadow Gr.ijs, with the 
be fuperior to that of moft others. mixture, the produce of which, would for this purjoie. 
