Agrostis Setacea-. Sheep’s Fescue-Leaved Agrostis. 
AGROSTIS. lam 'Geni PI. Triandria Digynja. 
Cal. 2-valvis, l-florus, corolla paulo minor. Stigmata Ipngitudinalitfer 
hifpida. 
RaiiSyn. Gem 27: Here-e GRAMipiFOLlai flore imperfectcS culmifer^. 
AGROSTIS felacea foliis fetaceis, culmb ereSo. 
AGROSTIS canina V. 1 foliis fetaceis rigidis glaucis, culmo erefto. Hui/. F/. Angi. ei. 2. f. 31. 
AVENA monamha, paniculata, foliis fetaceis, glunia Calycina exafperata j anfta flore duplo longiore. 
Hali. Hijl. n. 1478. 
GRAMEN parvum paniculatum alpinum panicula fpadicea ariflatum. Scheuchz. Agtojl. p. 140. 1. 
Prod. p. 22. t. iv-. 
AGROSTIS alpina. Diagm unum petalum truncatum aut bifidum, e bafi promit anftam bafi 
recurvatum. Scop. F/. Carn. ed. 2. p. 6 1. 
RADIX perennis; fibrofa. 
FOLIA radicalia nurh'erofa, fafciculata, glauca, rigi- 
dulaj fetacea, teretilifcula, hinc fulcata, bafi 
vaginis inclufa, ligula alba, erefta, inftrufta, 
caulina pauca, fubhlata, foliis radicalibus 
paulo latiora, erefta; fefunciam longa; 
CULMI pluresj fpithama?i, pedales et ultra, fuberefti, 
trinodes, fcabriufculi, praffertim fuperne. . 
PANICULA bi-triuncialisj fubcoarftata, tandem fpi- 
ciformis. 
CALYX : Gluma bivalvis, valvis lanceolatis, acumi- 
natis, fubtequalibus, carina ad lentem fcabri- 
ufcula, purpurafcentibus, Jig. i. 
COROLLA bivalvis, glumis calycinis brevior, valvula 
exteriore majore, longitudine fere calycis, 
nervofa, nervis duobus plerumque longioribus, 
hinc apice bifida, jig. 2 ; ariflata, arifla e bafi 
valvula?, et ejufdem fere longitudinis, primo 
refta, Jig. 3 ; demum geniculata, valvula in- 
terior, minima, Jig. 4 ; planiufcula, diaphana, 
vix germine longior, bafi utrinque fafciculo 
minimo pilorum inflrufta, Jig. 5. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria ; Anthers 
bifurca?, purpurea?, Jig. 7. 
PISTILLUM: Germen ovatum; Styli duo, pa- 
tentes, ad bafin ufqufe plumofi, Jig. 8. 
NECTARIUM: GlumulrE duo, lanceolata?, acumi- 
nata?, Jig. 6 . 
ROOT perennial, and fibrous. 
LEAVES, thofe next the root numerous, growing in 
bundles, glaucous, fomewhat rigid, briftle- 
fhaped, roundifh, grooved on one fide, at 
their bafe enclofed in {heaths, furnifhed with 
a white ereft membrane, thofe of the ftalk 
few, fubulate, a little broader than the radical 
leaves, upright, an inch and a half in length. 
STEMS feveral, from a fpan to a foot or more in 
length, nearly upright, having ufually three 
knots, roughifh, efpecially on the upper part. 
PANICLE two or three inches long, fomewhat clofed, 
finally fpike-Iike. 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, the valves lanceo- 
late, long-pointed, nearly equal, the keel 
rough when magnified, purplifh, fig. 1. 
COROLLA of two valves, fhorter than the glumes of 
the calyx, the outer valve largeft, nearly the 
length of the calyx, ribbed, two of the ribs 
ufually longer than the reft, which gives to 
the tip a bifid appearance, fig. 2 ; awned, 
awn fpringing from near the bafe of the 
valve, and nearly of the fame length, at firft 
ftraight, fig. 3 ; finally jointed, the inner 
valve very minute, fig. 4 ; fcarcely longer 
than the germen, furnifhed at its bafe on 
each fide with a very minute tuft of hairs, 
A 5- 
I STAMINA: three Filaments, capillary; Anthers 
6 purple, fig. 7. 
(5 
6 PISTILLUM: Germen ovate; Styles two, fpread- 
6 ing, feathery quite to the bafe, fig. 
6 
® NECTARY : two minute Glumes, lanceolate, long- 
pointed, fig. 6 . 
In the feveral catalogues of plants publifhed by me at different periods, I have long fince given to this very 
diftinft fpecies of Agroftis the name of fietacea , or Sheep’s fefcue-leaved, the foliage being much finer than that of 
any other of our Britifh fpecies, and confiderably refembling that of the Sheep’s Fefcue grafs ; regarding this 
name as more expreflive than that of alpina, which was perhaps previoufly given it by Scopoli, I am not 
inclined to alter it, more efpecially as Gmelin has alfo an alpina, which, if we pay any regard to his figure 
of reference, is not our plant. 0 
The firft information I received of this grafs was from my Gardener, Robert Squibb, who fent me up 
fome tufts of it from Piddletown-Heathi Devonfhire, where his relations lived; I have fince found it to be one 
of the moft common plants of that county, and Cornwall, there being fcarcely a heath in either on which it 
does not abound ; I have found it alfo plentifully on Bagfhot-Heath, but not in the neighbourhood of London ; 
Lord Gainsborough obferved it near Lymington, Hampfhire. 
It flowers in July and ripens its feeds in Auguft. 
Readily as it grows in its wild ftate, I have not been able to keep it alive in ipy garden without planting it 
in bog earth, and bellowing unufual care on it. 1 ° 
The peculiarity of its place of growth, the finenefs of its glaucous leaves, the clofenefs of its panicle the 
length of its arilta?, lo clolely embraced is one of the valves of the calyx as to appear at firft as if proceeding 
from it, which we have never obferved to be wanting, joined to other charafters noticed in the defcription 
fufhciently point it out to the molt common oblerver. 1 ’ 
co^u^S’^'^pLd^ 5 " 0t appear t0 haTC mKh t0 — end abounds, it tnuft 
