Holcus Lanatus. 
Meadow Soft-grass 
HOLCUS Lin. Gen. PI. Polygamia Monoecia. 
Hbiiaiiuod. Cal. Gluma I five 2 flora. Cor. Gluma priftata. Sit m. 3. 
Styii 2. Sent. 1. 
Masc. Cal. Gluma a-valvis. Cor. o. Slam. 3. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 27. Herbie gramisifoUje flore imperfecto curmiferie. 
HOLCUS lanatus glumis bifloris villofis : flofculo hermaphrodito mutico ; mafculo arifla recurva. Lm. 
Syjl. Vegetab. p. 760. Sp. PI. 14 85. FI. Suec. n. 917. 
AVENA diantha, floribus ovatis ; perfefto mutico, imperfeao ariftato. Bailer, hi/ 1 , n. 1484. 
HOLCUS lanatus. Scopoli FI. Carn.n. 1238. 
GRAMEN pratenfie pauiculatum molle. Bauh.pin. 1. 
GRAMEN miliaceum prateufe molle. Pet. Cone. Gr. 224. Raii Syn. p.404. Soft-tufted Meadow- 
Grals. 
Huifin. FI. Angl. id. 2. p. 44 °- Lightfoot. FI. Scot. p. 631. 
higher, upright, generally furnifhed with four 
joints, downy, round, in forae lituation taking 
root at the bottom. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa, minime repens. J ROOT perennial, fibrous, not at all creeping. 
CULMI plures bipedales, feu tripedales, raro ultra, J STALKS feveral, from two to three feet high, feldom 
erefti, quatuor communiter geniculis diftinai, | K; " w ” ,rh fn ” r 
pubefeentes, teretes, in quibufdam locis ad 
bafm radicantes. | ...... ... 
FOLIA pilis mollibus undique veftita, incana, tres lineas | LEAVES covered on every part with foft hairs, which 
lata, plana, fuperne ftriata, inferne carinata ; | give them a greyilh appearance,^ about three 
vagina lineis purpureis externe notata, interne | lines in breadth, flat, above ftriated, below 
nitida i membrana obtufa, externe pilofa, pilif- 1 keeled, th sjleath marked externally with pur- 
que ciliata. f pie lines, internally fhining; the membrane 
^ I blunt, externally hairy, and edged with hairs. 
PANICULA primo fpiciformis, mollis, laxus, rubellus, | PANICLE at firft forms a kind of foft, loofe, reddilh 
parum nutans, dein erefta, diffufa, albida. X fpike, which droops a little, afterwards be- 
^ comes upright, fpreadingand whitifh. 
SPICULtE biflorze, albida;, villofula:, verfus apicem co - 1 SPICULE containing two flowers, whitifh, fomewhat 
loratze. I villous, coloured towards the top. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvula exteriore majore, tri - 1 CALYX : a Glume of two valves, the outer one largeft, 
nerve, interiore mucronata, minore carinata. | having three ribs, and terminating in a point, 
£. i a u£t. ¥ the inner one fmaller and keeled. Jig. i. 
I magnif. 
FLOS FERTILIS. | FERTILE FLOWER. 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvule tenera:, virides, nitidae, | COROLLA compoled of two valves which are tender, 
muticae, valvula exteriore majore, jig. 2. * green, fLining, and pointlefs, the outer valve 
I largeft. fg. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria; Anthers | STAMINA: three capillary Filaments; Anthers 
oblongs, bifurcata-, flava, fg. 5. | oblong, forked at each end, of a yellow colour. 
I 5 - . 
PISTILLUM: Germen obovatum ; Styli duo, ad ba- \ PISTILLUM : Germen inverfely ovate ; Styles two, 
fin ufque ramofi. fg. 6. . | branched quite down to tbe bottom, fg. 6. 
SEMEN parvum, acuminatum, nitidum glumis corolla $ SEED final], pointed, and fhining, covered by the 
tedium! ' fg. 9. et valvulis calycis inclufum. | glumes of the corolla, yijr. 9. and inclofed in the 
yfo- % f valves of the calyx, fg. .8. 
FLOS STERILIS. . | BARREN FLOWER. 
COROLLA bivalvis, valvula minores, exteriore ariftata, | COROLLA compofed of two valves, the valves lmall, 
arifta e dorfo valvula erumpente, longitudine $ the outer one bearded, the awn arifing from 
valvula exterioris calycis, fg. 3, 4. f the back of the valve, the length of the outer 
I yalves of the calyx, fg. 3, 4. 
STAMINA ut in fertili, fig, 5. t STAMINA as in the fertile flowers. Jig.. 5. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ut in fertili, fed multo minus ; | PISTILLUM : the Germen as in the fertile flower, but 
Styli duo, fubulati, flmplices. fig. 7. $ much leis ; Styles two, tapering, and Ample. 
I V 3 , ■ 
SEMEN minimum, abortivum. * SEED very minute and abortive. 
The Holcus Lanatus abounds in moft meadows, is frequently found by road-fides, and fometimes on walls, fo that 
it will thrive in almoft any fituatioh. The rednefs of its panicle when juft opening, joined to^the foftnefs and hoari- 
nefs of its leaves, render it a very confpicuous grafs. 
I-Ialler fpeaks highly of it as food for cattle, calling it optimum pabulum. We cannot coincide with him in this 
opinion, nor do the generality of our intelligent farmers and graziers, who condemn it as too foft and woolly ; m- 
verthelels the feed of it (being eafily colledled) is fometimes lent up to London in great quantities, and fold for pure 
grafs -feed : but it were better to lay down ground for meadow or pafturage in the ufual way, than fill it with this 
unprofitable, though pure grals-feed. 
Mr. Lightfoot informs us in his FI. Scot, that it is fometimes ufed to make ropes for the filhing-boats. 
It is a very diftindt fpecies from the Holcus Mollis (as we lhall particularly explain when we treat of that grafs), 
and flowers in June and July. ...... 
One cannot but lament that Linnaeus fhould have feparated the Holcus from the other gralies, with which it 
has lb great an affinity, and have placed it among the plants of the clals Polygamia, merely becaule lome of its flow- 
ers were imperfefl ; it frequently happening, as Hali.er very juftly obferves, that the Triticum , Hordeum, and fe- 
veral other grafl'es, are in the fame predicament ; and it was the’ lefs necefi'ary here, as there is an ev ident piftillum 
in the barren flowers, though an imperfecl one. Fid. fig. 7. 
