Avena Flavescens. Yellow Oat Grass. 
AVENA Lin. Gen. PI. Triandria Digynia. * 
Cal. 2-vaIvis, multiflorus : ar'ifta dorfali contorta. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 27. Herb.e graminifolia: flore imperfecto culmifer-E. 
Jiavefcens panicula laxa, calycibus trifloris brevibus, flofcuHs omnibus ariflatis. Lin, S^. 
Fegetab. p. 105. Sp. PI. 118. FI. Suec.. p. 103. 
AVENA triantha, locuftis teretibus, calycina gluraa altera minima, petiolo villofo. Haller. FUJI. p. 1497. 
GRAMEN avenaceum pratenfe elatius, panicula fiavefcente, locuftis parvis. Rail Syn, p. 407. 
GRAMEN avenaceum, fpica parva fiavefcente, locuftis parvis. Afor;/. i///?. 3. p. 215. f. 8. t. 7. fig. 42. 
Scheuch. Agrnji, p. 223. t. 4. f. 18. 
Hudfon. FU Angl. ed. 2. p. 53. 
Lighifoot FI. Sect. p. 106. 
Schreher, Gram . tab.<). 
RADIX perennis, culta manifefte repens. 
CULMUS pedalis ad bipedalem, ereftus, teres, tribus 
aut quatuor geniculis purpurascentibus in- 
ftruftus, hirfutulus. 
FOLIA plana, ad duas lineas lata, una cum vagina 
^quie ftriata eft pilis modice longis hirfutula. 
PANICULA triuncialis et ultra, dum florent fpicula: 
quam maxime diffufa, e flavo virefeens, eredla ; 
poftea coardtata, fubfecunda, e flavo-fufea, 
Iplendeus. 
SPICULiEparvie, biflorae, etiam triflorte et quadriflors, 
fiofculis omnibus ariftatis. fg. 3. 4. 9. 
CALYX: Gluma bivalvis, valvulis Inaequalibus, fub- 
membranaceis, acuminatis, altera majori fig.\.x. 
COROLLA ; Gluma bivalvis, valvulis inaequalibus, al- 
tera minore fubdiaphana, membranacea, peni- 
tus alba, apice bifida, altera majori tribus aut 
quatuor nervis viridibus iiifignita, concava, 
bifida, ariftata. Jig. 3. 6. 
NECT ARIUM : Glumula du« longitudine germinis, 
apice laciniats. jig. 8. 
ARISTA ex dorfo circa medium valvulae majoris erum- 
pit, in viva planta refta, valvula duplo fere 
longior, in ficca recurva, jg. 4. 9. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, longitudine 
florum, Anther.e flavae, bifurcatae, jg. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovale, nudum ; Styli duo, 
ramofiffimi, ex apice germinis, deflexi, jg. 7. 
SEMEN oblongum, acuminatum, nudum, valvula 
majori incliifum 
ROOT perennial, when cultivated manifeftly creeping. 
STALK from one to two feet high, upright, round, 
furnifhed with three or four purplifh joints, 
and covered with numerous fhort hairs. 
LEAVES fiat, rarely exceeding two lines in breadth, 
together with the Iheath which is finely 
grooved covered with hairs of a moderate 
length. 
PANICLE three inches and more in length, while the 
fpiculte flower fpreading as wide as poffible, 
of a yellowifh green colour and upright ; af- 
terwards clofing together, with the fpiculae 
moftly one way, and becoming of a yellowifh 
brown colour and Ihining. 
SPICULjE fmall, containing two, three, or four flowers, 
all of which have awns. jg. 3. 4. 9. 
CALYX. A glume of two valves which are unequal, 
fomewhat membranous, pointed, one larger 
than the other, jg. 1.2. 
COROLLA. A glume of two valves which are un- 
equal, the leaft fomewhat tranfparent, mem- 
branous, white, and bifid, the largeft marked 
with three or four green nerves, hollow, bifid, 
and furniflied with an awn. jg. 3. 6. 
NECTARY ; two fmall the length of the ger- 
men, jagged at top. jg. 8. 
AWN fprlnglng from about the middle of the back of 
the larger valve, in the living plant ftrait, 
almoft twice the length of the valve, in the 
dried one crooked back. jg. 4. 9. 
STAMINA : three Filaments very fine, the length 
of the flowers ; Anthera; yellow, forked at 
both ends. jg. 5. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oval, naked : Styles two, 
very much branched, growing from the top 
of the germen, and hanging down. jg. 7. 
SEED oblong, pointed, naked, inclofed in the larger 
valve. 
The term favefeens has with propriety been given to this fpecles of Avena, as Its panicle, efpecially on clofing after 
it has flowered, ’is of a yellower hue than any of the others, and this is one charafter which may ferve to diftin- 
guifh it ; added to this it is one of the leaft of the genus, its panicle is finely divided, its fpiculas are fmall, delicate, 
and generally contain two perfeft flowers; and its leaves and zre conjantly hairy : cultivated in a garden, it 
becomes larger in every refpedt, and the fpiculs contain three or more flowers. 
We may remark that the Anfta or Beard in the living plant is ftrait, but crooked in dried fpeclmens. 
Though not fo common as Avena elatior, it is to be found in moft paftures, efpecially fuch as are elevated, iu 
fome meadows, and frequently on grafly banks by the road fide, it flowers about the end of June. 
Mr. Stillingfleet has not enumerated this grafs among his valuable ones, yet it is more deferving of that 
cliftinftion than fome of thofe he has figured, efpecially the mountain -i.\\A.jlver Hair-grafs, the latter of which is a 
trifling annual with refpefl to agriculture, unworthy of the Farmer’s notice : the yellow Oat-grafs is a perennial, 
forms in many counties a principal part of the fineft pafturage on the downs, and in divers meadows contributes to 
the goodnefs as well as greatnefs of the crop. As to time, it is not fo early as many of the Poas, nor is it fo late as 
fome of the Agrojii tribe ; on the whole, from the remarks I have made on it in its wild and cultivated ftate, I would 
recommend it as one of the few out of the many Engllfti grafles worth the husbandman s attending to. 
