Hard 
Meadow-grass. 
P O A RIGIDA. 
POA Linncei Gen. PI. Triandria Digynia. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 27. Herbje graminifoli® flore imperfecto culmifer®. 
POA rigida panicula lanceolata fubramofa fecunda : ramulis alternis fecundis. Linn. SyJI. Fegetab. p. 98. 
'GRAMEN panicula multiplici. Bauhin. Pin. p. 3. 
GRAMEN exile duriufculum in muris et aridis proveniens. Rail Syn. 410, Small Hard Grafs. 
GRAMEN loliaceum murorum duriufculum fpica eredta rigida. Hi/l. Oxon. III. 182. i. 2 .Jig. 9. 
'GRAMEN minus 'duriufculum. Gerard. 
GRAMEN arvenfe, filicina, duriore panicula, gracilius. Barrel. Ic. 49. 
Scheuchz. Agrojl . ed Haller, p. 271. t. 6 . jig. 2, 3. fpicuke tantum. 
Hudfon FI. Angi. p. 35. ed. 2. p. 42* 
RADIX annua, paucis fibrillis iuftru&a. 
CULMI plures, palmares, eredi, ad bafin infradi, 
plerumque fimplices, heves, binodes. 
FOLIA lanceolata, laevia, longitudine vaginae, fubereda ; 
Membrana brevis, obtufa, apice lacera ; Fagina 
laevis, lineata. 
PANICULA lanceolata, fefquiuncialis, paululum re- 
curvata, rigida, fubfecunda. 
SPICUL^E lineari-lanceolatas, fubodoflorae, acutae, 
fubcompreffae, Jig. 1. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvulae longitudine et 
magnitudine inaequales, ad lentem fcabriuf- 
culae, Jig. 2. 
COROLLA : Gluma bivalvis, valvulae fubaequales, 
ovato-acutae, marginibus membranaceis,^. 3. 
STAMINA : Filamenta tria, capillaria, longitu- 
dine Corollae: Anther® flavae, minimae, 
breves, utrinque furcatae, jig. 4, 5. 
NECTARIA : Glumul® duae, ovato-acutae, longitu- 
dine Germinis, ope microfcopii vifibiles,^. 6. 
PISTILLUM : Germen turbinatum : Styli duo ad 
bafin ufque ramofi, Jig. 7, 8. 
SEMINA ovato-acuta, hinc convexa, inde concava. 
5 ROOT annual, and furnifhed with few fibres. 
STALKS feveral, about four inches high, upright, 
crooked at bottom, generally fimple, fmooth, 
with two knots or joints. 
LEAVES lanceolate, fmooth, the length of the fheath, 
and nearly upright ; Membrane at the bafe of 
the leaf fhort, obtufe, and jagged at top ; 
Sheath fmooth, and very finely grooved. 
PANICLE lanceolate, about an inch and a half long, 
bent a little back, rigid, the fpicul® in fome 
degree growing one way. 
SPICUL.E of a fhape betwixt linear and lanceolate, 
containing for the moft part eight flowers, 
pointed and flattilh Jig. 1 . 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, the valves unequal 
in length and fize, appearing roughifh when 
viewed with a magnifier. Jig. 2. 
COROLLA : a Glume of two valves, the valves near- 
ly equal, of an oval pointed fhape, the edges 
membranous. Jig. 3. 
STAMINA: three Filaments, fine, the length of 
the Coroll®; Anther® yellow, very minute, 
fhort, and forked at each end, jig. 4, 5. 
NECTARIES : two fmall Glumes of an oval pointed 
fhape, the length of the Germen, vifible by the 
help of a microfcope, Jig. 6 . 
PISTILLUM : Germen larger at top than at bottom: 
Styles two, branched down to the bot- 
tom, jig. 7, 8. 
SEEDS of an oval pointed fhape, convex on one fide, 
and hollow on the other. 
■ ?or Soopoli make any mention of this graft. According to Scheuchzer, it is common 
m Italy and France, in dry fields, and fometimes on walls : with us it is found more frequently on the lat- 
ter ; and though not fo common as fome of the graflis, yet it is to be found on moft 5f the walls about 
London, in May and June. 
In very dry and barren fixations the ftalks fometimes are found fimple, the panicle alfo not branched, and 
the fpicul®, inftead of containing about eight flowers, which is the ufual number, have no more than three 
or four: m this ftate Scheuchzer makes another fpecies of it: this alteration, from an excefs or fcantinefs 
of nounfhment, is what all plants are fubjeft to; and no circumftance feems to have been lefs regarded bv Bo 
tanifts- To form fpecies or varieties from fuch a caufe, is to multiply plants without end. A compilat knowledge 
of a plant is only to be attained by observing it at the different periods of its growth, in all the various fitua 
trous m which it occurs— Information obtained from any other foutcc is not to be -depended on. 
