Festuca rubra near Cardiff. 
271 
normal conditions the branches reach a total length of about 8 cm. 
and their diameter varies from ’8 to 1 mm. If grown in the garden 
they are much longer, branch from the axils of the scale-leaves, and 
root at the nodes. 
The subvariety tenuifolia is sub-caespitose, that is its extra- 
vaginal branches are much shorter; and they are more slender 
(•7 mm. diam.). Even those first produced curve gently upwards 
from their base, rarely branch, and only occasionally root at the 
nodes. Only two or three such branches are produced, the rest 
are typically intravaginal (Fig. 3). 
Fig- 3. Subvar. tenuifolia. Base of shoot. Nat. size. 
The typical extravaginal branches are rarely found in the 
earlier stages of development of seedlings. In the majority of 
seedlings the first branch is intravaginal (Fig. 4 a) ; but in some 
the branch grows through the base of the subtending sheath, and 
then almost erect, having a more or less elongated prophyll 
followed by a scale-leaf, and then a normal leaf (Fig. 4 b). 
Occasionally the first branch has a shorter prophyll followed by 
two scale-leaves, then normal leaves (Fig. 4 c) and is therefore 
more typically extravaginal. The second and succeeding branches 
