Manual of British Grasses, Gordon 1907

3^

67W

MANUAL
OF

^•British Grasses.

BY
W.

J.

GORDON,

AUTHOR OF "OUR COUNTRY'S FLOWERS," ETC.

WITH A COLOURED ILLUSTRATION OF EVERY SPECIES
AND MANY ORIGINAL DIAGRAMS BY
J.

T.

GORDON.

^THSONMaT
FEB

3 1988

LONDON:
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON,

KENT &

CO., Ltd.


PREFACE
r

"HE word

I

-*

grasses

is

used in this book in

its strictest

forage plants, nor in
as in the Bible

original

its

meaning

Graminese.

The

order, in

which

common herbage

of

and consequently several

;

the true grasses are grouped,

all

contains about 3,600 species, and of these

hundred or so said to be native to our islands

we

deal with the

for the usual reason

Some may

that the dates of their introduction are unknown.
arrived

the

during

historic

period,

some may

originated here, but none are confined to our area

there

is

popularly

grasses,

do not belong to the

so called, do not appear herein as they

have

sense and

not as a farmer would use it as including the clovers and other

;

in

have

which

nothing remarkable considering the ease and frequency

with which grass seeds are distributed.

For

its

food plants no botanical order

is

of greater interest

nor has any been more written about, some of the books being
really

wonderful

many,

for

verification
illustrated

the labour they involved.

for

instance, to
of

the

which

materials

I

of

by actual specimens

Among

have been indebted
this

is

Hanham's, which

of the plants,

naively apologises for the delay in

its

his collection

!

the
is

and the author

production on account

of the difficulty in selecting 60,000 suitable examples

mass of

in

the

from the

Only those who have had to deal with


PREFACE.

vi

a collection of their
set

himself.

own can adequately

And snch

collectors

realise the task

are increasing

in

he

number,

owing to the economic importance of the subject, helped by
the grasses remaining as
flowers

plentiful

become scarcer every

That the

species

may be

as

year.

quickly distinguished, a somewhat

similar plan has been adopted to that in "

the

name

of the plant being

could be devised

group alone
description.

—though

ever while other wild

Our Country's Flowers,"

found by the shortest method that

may

it

—the identification

hold good for the British

being confirmed by the detailed

Hence more attention than usual

is

given to the

vegetative and other external characters.

The
by

illustrations

have

all

been specially drawn for the work

my son. They include a complete series

of a

hundred and one

coloured figures of the plants, and over eighty diagrams of the
structure of their flowers.

W.

J.

G.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I.

II.

PAGE

Introductory

i

List of British Grasses

.

.

.

.

,

n

III.

Customary Names

20

IV.

British Cereals

26

V.

The Order and

VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

its

Tribes

37

....

The Tribes and their Genera
The Genera and their Species

.

Tabular View of British Grasses

The Seeds of the Grasses

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

43
65

.139
.152

X.

Index to Species

161

XL

Index to Genera

172

Index to Customary Names

174

XII.


COLOURED PLATES
FIGURES!

PLATES.
I.

II.

Cut Grass

i

Millet

2

Finger Grasses

3,

4

6,

7

.

Rough Bristle Grass
III.

IV.

5

Bristle Grasses

Cockspur

8

Holy Grass
Vernal Grass
Canary Grass
Reed Grass

9
.

.

.

.

.

.10
11

12

.

V.

Timothy

13

Alpine Cat's-tail
VI.
VII.

VIII.

14

Cat's-tail Grasses

Foxtail Grasses

Knappia

.

18, 19, 20, 21

.23

Beard Grasses
IX. Bent Grasses

24, 25
26, 27, 28,

Nit Grass

29
30

Marram
XI.

22

.

Hare's-tail

X.

15, 16, 17

:

Smallreeds

31

32, 33, 34, 35

XIII.

Hair Grasses
Hair Grasses

38, 39,

XIV.

Oat Grasses

41, 42, 43

XII.

36, 37

viii

40


COLOURED PLATES.
PLATES

XV.

ix

.......

FIGURES.

False Oat Grass
Soft Grasses

XVI.

XVII.
XVIII.

XIX.

45,

46

Dog's Tooth

47

Cord Grass

48

Hard Grass
Mat Grass
Lyme Grass

49
50
51

;

Barley Grasses
Couch Grass

52, 53, 54, 55

56

Wheat Grass
Rye Grass

58, 59

False Brome Grasses

60, 61

XX. Brome Grasses
Brome Grasses

XXI.
XXII.

Fescue Grasses

XXIII.

Fescue Grasses

XXIV.

44

57

62, 63, 64, 65

66, 67, 68

.

.

.

.

.

.

69,

.

Cock's-foot

74

Dog's-tail Grasses

XXV. Quake Grasses
XXVI. Meadow Grasses
XXVII. Meadow Grasses

Meadow Grasses
XXIX. Meadow Grasses
XXX. Meadow Grasses
XXXI. Whorl Grass

XXVIII.

Flying Bent

XXXII. Melic Grasses
Heath Grasses
XXXIII. Koeleria
Blue Moor Grass
Reed

70

71, 72, 73

.

.

75> 76
.

.

.

.

.

77,78

.

.

.

79, 80, 81

.

.

.

.

....

82, 83,

84

85, 86, 87

88, 89,

90

91 92, 93
,

94
95

96,97
98

99
100
101


ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT.
PAGE

Panicle

2

-

Spike

3

Diagrammatic Spikelet

Agropyrum repens,

60

Spikelet

65

„

„

4

Floret

Agrostis alba, Floret

46

Spikelet

,,

,,

•

Aira caryophyllea, Floret
Spikelet

„

,,

Alopecurus agrestis,
„

,,

.

44

Spikelet

73

Floret

63

Spikelet

76

„

Arrhenatherum avenaceum,
„

,,

Arundo phragmites,
Avena

Spikelet

,,

,,

Briza minor, Floret

Bromus giganteus,
,,

,,

78

.

Floret
Spikelet

.

....

Spikelet

,,

,,

77

....

Brachypodium sylvaticum,
,,

49

Spikelet

52

Spikelet

pratensis, Floret

,,

Floret

Floret

,,

,,

72

.

Floret

Anthoxanthum odoratum,
,,

67
48

Floret

49
80
58
81

54
83

.

57

Spikelet

88


ILLUSTRATION'S

Calamagrgstis EPIGBIOS, Floret
Spikelet

Catabrosa aouatica. Florer
Spikelet

Cyxodox DACTYix

x.

Floret
Spikelet

Cyxosurus CRI5TATU5. Floret
Spikelet

Dactvlis glomerata. Floret
„

Spikelet

,,

DlGRAPHIS ARUXDIXACEA, Floret
Spikelet

,,

Elymus arenarius,

Floret
Spikelet

.,

Festuca ovixa.

Fl<

Spikelet

Gastridium lexdigerv
„

ret

Spikelet

,,

Hierochloe borealis, Floret

„

„

Spikelet

.,

Holcus LANATUS,

Floret
Spikelet

,,

Hordeum marixum,
„

,,

.

Floret
Spikelet

KOELERIA CRISTATA, Floret
„

„

La gurus o vat us,
„

Spikelet

Floret
Spikelet

,,

.

Leersia oryzoides, Floret
„

Spikelet

„

Lepturus incurvatus.
„

„

Floret
Spikelet

IN

TEXT.

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT.
Lolium perenne,

Floret
Spikelet

„

„

.

Melica uniflora, Floret
„

Spikelet

99

Mibora verna,

Floret
Spikelet

„

,,

Milium effusum, Floret
Spikelet

„

,,

Molinia c^erulea, Floret
,,

.

.

Spikelet

,,

Nardus

stricta,

,,

„

Ovary and Stigma
Spikelet

.

Panicum viride, Floret
Spikelet

„

,,

.

Phalaris canariensis, Floret
Spikelet

„

„

Phleum pra tense,

Spikelet

„

,,

Poa pratensis,
,,

"Floret

Floret
Spikelet

,,

POLYPOGON LITTORALIS, Floret

,,

Spikelet

„

,,

PSAMMA ARENARIA,

Floret

Sesleria C/erulea, Floret
„

.

Spikelet

„

,,

.

Spikelet

Spartina stricta, Floret
,,

,,

Spikelet

Triodia decumbens, Floret
? ,

,,

Spikelet


^CHAPTER

I.

INTRODUCTORY.

WE

will begin

by taking a

grass in

name as quickly as we can.

is

not a grass but a sedge, and

The stem

difficulty at once.

generally triangular

and never

;

we may

The

its

as well get over that

of a sedge

that of a grass

three-sided.

bloom and arriving at

Perhaps, however, our specimen

is

is

always solid and

generally hollow, rounded,

leaves of a sedge are in three ranks

those of a grass are alternate in two ranks.

;

In both, the leaves em-

brace the stem with sheaths, but in grasses the sheaths are nearly

always

while in sedges they are not.

split,

leaf -blade joins the
is

more or

known

less

further, where the

sheath in grasses the inner side of the sheath

prolonged into a sort of membranous edging

as the ligule, whereas a sedge has no ligule.

There are other

distinctions

we may

deal with later on,

but we have enough to make sure that we have a grass and
not a sedge for the stem is round and hollow, the leaves are
alternate in two series, the sheath is split and there is an un;

mistakable

ligule.

How

about the inflorescence, that is the arrangement of
the flowers on the stem ? Is it a spike, that is having the flowers
attached to the axis without a pedicel or stalk to each ; is it a
raceme in which the pedicels are the primary branches or is it
;

a panicle in which the flowers grow on the secondary or remoter

For our present purpose we need not trouble ourand we can assume that what looks
like a spike is really a spike, though closer inspection may show
it not to be strictly within the definition
Dealing with them
in this oil-hand way, wc shall find that there is no difficulty in

branches

?

selves regarding the raceme,

.


INTRODUCTORY.

sorting out the inflorescences of all our British grasses into either

Let us agree then that it is a panicle, as it
very strictest sense.
Having advanced so far we will eliminate a few exceptions
from the group. Is the sheath quadrangular and not split ?

spikes or panicles.

undoubtedly

No.

Then

red veins

?

is

its

in the

genus

No.

is

Then

not Melica.
it is

sheath white with
Are the leaves glaucous

Is the

not Holcus.

above and dark green underneath ? No. Then it is not Triodia.
Is the stem solid and bent at the only node ?
No. Then it is
not Molinia. Are its spikelets orbicular ?

But what
which

is

a spikelet

?

That

often called the flower of

is

the grass, consisting of a pair of

known as glumes, which enone or more flowers, better

bracts
close

called

placed

florets,

one

(rachilla)

on an axis

above

the

other

alternately, each floret being, typically, enclosed in

\m w

imp

"""^vAIJ/

another pair of

own.
It would have saved obscurity

bracts of

in

many

its

botanical descriptions of

the grasses

each of these four

if

the

lower

upper

pair,

had

special

name.

bracts,

and the

pair

been

given

Even the

a

old plan

of calling the upper pair glumellas

was

Panicle.

better

fashion

in

than

the

prevailing

which

the

higher

the upper pair

is

of

the palea, the

next the flowering glume or fruiting glume, and the lower pair
•the

glumes, with inevitable references to the upper glume and

the lower glume and a consequent doubt as to whether barren

glume or flowering glume is meant. To avoid trouble of this
sort, the lower pair have in this book been spoken of as glumes
and the upper pair as paleae, the lower glume being called the
outer glume, the upper the inner glume.

The lower palea

(that


INTRODUCTORY.
is

and the upper

the flowering glume) being the outer palea

of

the pair the inner palea.

The beginner
to deal with at

linds the flowers of the grasses rather

first,

The best

ing glass and too large for the microscope.

by a

afforded

awkward

as they are too small for the ordinary magnify-

aid

is

dissecting microscope of low power, but a glass

answers every purpose if magnifying rather more than the usual
run of such things.
Anyhow a lens of some sort is essential,

though

in this particular case

spikelet

is

further that

it

spikelet

glass, too,

has

but

that helps us much,
feel

see without
is

it

that the

not Briza

— and

has glumes, and consequently cannot be Leersia.

Without the
each

we can

—wherefore the genus

not orbicular

but better with

one

we have only

for

it,

we can

see that

And

floret.

to

the leaves whether they be smooth or

rough, and finding

them smooth and broad
Milium without
further ceremony.
As there is only one
species of Milium in the British flora, the
grass must be M. effusum, the Spreading
Millet, as we might have guessed from its
height and from our meeting with it in our

we know

the genus to be

walk through the woods.
Let us, however, with the aid of the
glass, open up this spikelet and compare
it with a
diagram in which the typical
arrangement of the florets is shown.
Lowest of all we have the outer glume,
slightly

up

the

above and opposite to
rachilla

opposite.

is

the

outer

it

is

the inner glume.

palea

Within the paleae more or

—

Spike.

with the
less

Higher

inner

we have

the

palea
pistil

—

with the lodicules in this case two at the base, and round it
is the whorl of
three stamens, the first placed just above
the outer

palea, and often rather larger than the others,
stamen with a longish filament carrying the double
notched anther.
In one British genus, Anthoxanthum, there

each

are

only

two stamens

;

in

some genera,

all

foreign,

there


INTRODUCTORY.

4

may

be only one, as in Cinna, or

thirty,

as

The

in

pistil

six,

as in

Oryza,

or even

Ochlandra.

contains a single ovary with a single ovule and

two styles on which are the stigmas, feathery (plumose)
form as affording a large catchment surface for the pollen
shed by the adjoining anthers or carried by the wind from
anthers of other flowers. Sometimes, as in Nardus, there is but
carries

in

Ovary

Outer
Palea.

Inner

Glume

Outer

Glume

.

Rachilla.

Diagram of Spikelet.

sometimes there are three, as in Megalachne of Juan
Fernandez sometimes, as in Briza, there is a rudimentary third.
Let us take another panicle. Finding that the grass is not
one of the six already mentioned (Melica, Molinia, etc.), we count
the florets in the spikelet and find that there are three or more,
and that they bear awns, these being the stiff bristles which in
If there had been only two florets, both
cereals form the beard.
complete, the genus would be Air a if two with the lower without
one style

;

;

;


INTRODUCTORY.

5

any pistil, it would be Arrhenatherum. But it has several florets.
Then if the panicle be tufted it can only be Dactylis (Cocksfoot)
but it is gracefully diffuse, and we can tell it by its awn. Is
the awn terminal, that is, does it start from the apex of the outer
palea ? No. Then it is not Festuca.
Does it start from just
below the apex, that is, is it sub-terminal ? No. Then it is
not Bromus. Is it dorsal, that is, does it start from the back ?
Yes. Then it is Avena. But which species ? Are the spikelets
No. Then
erect and the ligule truncate, that is, cut off short ?
it is not the Yellow Oat.
Are the spikelets erect and the ligule
pointed ? No the spikelets droop, the ligule is short, and the
species is the Wild Oat, A. fatua.
;

;

Now

let

us take a spike.

Is it digitate, that

is, is it

a group

No. Are the spikelets placed
stem ? Yes. Are they in ones,
twos, or threes ? Threes. Then the genus is Hordeum.
If they
had been in pairs, it would have been Elymus ; if in ones, either
Nardus, Lepturus A g ropy rum, or Lolium. The one style (instead
of two) distinguishes Nardus ; the axis jointed at each notch
marks off Lepturus ; the spikelets close together characterise
Agropyrum, as the spikelets with well-marked intervals between
indicate Lo iu n.
Next we will have a spike in which the spikelets are not in
notches.
Are the spikelets on one side only ? No. Then the
genus is neither Cynosurus in which the spikelets are rounded, nor
Spartina in which they are flattened. Are the spikelets alternate
No. Is the spike ovoid, that is, almost
in two opposite rows ?

of spikes, diverging like fingers

?

in little cavities or notches in the

globular

?

No.

Then

it is

neither Phalaris nor Lagurus.

the spike taper from the base upwards
that

is,

spindle-shaped, or cylindrical

Let us make sure.
that

is

bifid

?

No.

Is the ligule

Then

interrupted near the base.

it

is

No.

?

?

No.

Does

Is it fusiform,

Yes, probably cylindrical.

very long and
not Psamma.

Then

it

is

cleft into

Is

two,

the spike

not Koeleria.

Is

rounded ears and are
there only two anthers ? No. Then it is not Anthoxanthum
Are the spikelets imbricated, that is do they overlap one another
like the tiles on a house ?
No, Then it is not Sesleria. Is the
the base of the leaf auricled, that

is,

has

it

;


INTRODUCTORY.

6

Then it is not Alopecurus
No, it is bristly.
?
Are the spikelets compressed laterally or dorsally ?
Then it is Phleum, and probably our old friend
Laterally.
Timothy, which we can easily ascertain by a reference to our
tabular arrangement of that genus. The spike is long and
cylindrical
the glumes are neither wedge-shaped nor tapering,
they are truncate, and with that and the thin, white ligule toothed
at the apex, Phleum pratense, otherwise Timothy, is unmistakably

spike silky
(Foxtail).

;

indicated.

need not identify at length every genus in the list. We
have had examples enough to show the working of the key which
it is time to give.

We

Spikes digitate.

Cynodon.

Spikelets in ones.

Pant cum (as regards P. s (inguinale
and P. glabnim, frequently grouped into Digitaria).

Spikelets in pairs.

Spikes not digitate.
Spikelets in notches.

Spikelets in ones.
Spikelets on one side only but in 2 alternate rows.

Only one

style.

Nardus.

Axis jointed at each notch.
Spikelets close.

Lolium.

Spikelets distant.
Spikelets in pairs.

Lepturus.

Agropyrum.

Elymus.

Spikelets in threes.

Hordeum.

Spikelets not in notches.
Spikelets on one side only.
Spikelets flattened.

Spar Una.

Spikelets not flattened.

Cynosurus.

Spikelets alternate in 2 opposite rows.

Leaves channelled and blunt. Mibora.
Leaves flat and acute. Festuca (as regards F.
turning to one side.

Spikelets
loliacea).

Poa

loliacea).

(as regards

P.


INTRODUCTORY.

7

Spike ovoid, almost globular.

Spike smooth.

Phalaris.

Spike with long, silky hairs.

Lagurus.

Spike tapering from base.
Spikelets flattened.

Polypogon.

Spikelets not flattened.

Gastridium.

Spike fusiform or cylindrical.

Psamma.

Ligule lengthy and bifid.

Ligulc not lengthy and

bifid.

Spike interrupted near base.

Koeleria.

Spike regular.

Leaf base with rounded ears (anthers

anthum

Spikelets imbricated, colour bluish.

Spike

2).

Anthox-

.

Sesleria.

Alopecurus.

silky.

Spike bristly.
Spikelets compressed laterally.
Spikelets

Phleum.

Panicum

compressed dorsally.

(as

regards P. verticillatum, P. glaucum, and P.
viride, frequently

grouped into

Set-aria).

Spikes compound.
Spikelets on one side only

Panicum

(as regards

P. crus-galli, frequently assigned to

Echinochloa).
Spikelets on both sides.

Br achypodium.

Panicles.

Glumes absent.

Leersia.

Sheath quadrangular and not

split.

Melica.

Sheath white with red veins. Holcus.
Stem solid and bent at the only node. Molinia.
Spikelets orbicular.

Briza.

Leaves glaucous above, dark green below.
Spikelets with one floret.
Leaves smooth and broad. Milium.
Leaves rough.

Triodia


INTRODUCTORY.

8

Hairs numerous, long, silky.

and

broad

Leaves

nodes

purple.

nodes green.

Cala-

green

light

;

Dig?'aphis.

narrow and green

Leaves

;

magvostis.

Hairs few and short.
Spikelets with 2 or

more

Agrostis.
florets.

Awned.
Florets

2,

Florets

2,

Air a.

both perfect.

lower imperfect.

Arrhenatherum.

Florets 3 or more.

Panicle tufted.

Dactylis.

Panicle diffuse.

Awn
Awn
Awn

dorsal.

A vena.

sub-terminal; style sub -terminal.
terminal

;

style terminal.

Bromus.

Festuca.

Awnless.
Florets enveloped in silky hairs of axis.

Glumes
Glumes
Glumes
Glumes

6, leaf

and sheath netted.
Catabrosa.

2,

truncate.

2,

short, obtuse or pointed.

2,

long and lanceolate. Festuca

F. ovina and F.

Arundo.

Hierochlce.

Poa.
as regards

elatior).

key has been found to work satisfactorily at
as well to be able to identify our grasses in a
every
more orthodox manner. Let us then take another specimen and
trace it to its species in the usual way.
To do this we must begin by referring to our fifth chapter,

Though

this

trial, it is

wherein the distinctions between the thirteen tribes of grasses are

Comparing our specimen with the

given in tabular form.
analysis,
1.

we

find that

It does not belong to the

woody and

its

a petiole, that

first

:

Bamboos,

as its

stem

is

leaves are not joined to their sheaths
is

a leaf -stalk.

not

by

INTRODUCTORY.
Having more than two

2.

belong

florets in

Not having four glumes
Having more than one

4.

it

does not
Zoysieae.

Paniceae, or Oryzeae.

Tristegineae,
3.

the spikelet

Andropogoneae,

Maydeae,

the

to

9

it is

not one of the Phalarideae.

floret it

does not belong to the

Agrostideae.

As the

5.

spikelets are not in

rows

it

cannot be one of the

Chlorideae or Hordeae.
It

6.

must consequently belong

to either the Aveneae or

Festuceae.

The glumes not being longer than the outer palea and
there being no dorsal awn, it must belong to the Festuceae.

7.

Our second key helps us to find the tribe more quickly. The
two glumes at once rule it out of three tribes. The " more
florets

than one " eliminate the Agrostideae.

Its panicle takes it

on to Aveneae and Festuceae, where again the absence of the dorsal
awn,

etc.,

reduce

it

a position which

to the " spikelets otherwise " of the Festuceae,

is

confirmed when we read the description of

the tribe.

In the chapter on The Tribes and their Genera (VI.)

we

refer

to the tabular arrangement of the Festuceae, where the panicle
enables us to pass four genera and land in " panicle diffuse, awn
of outer palea terminal,

verify the identification

style terminal " of Festuca

by

;

and we

reference to the description of that

genus, and the diagram of the floret on which the parts are
greatly magnified

and opened

shown

Reference in a similar

out.

way

to the seventh chapter enables us to readily recognise the species
as Festuca ovina

and verify our diagnosis by the description and

the drawing of the spikelet.
grass,

shall

and
have

if

we can deal with

little difficulty

Sheep's Fescue
its

way we

And perhaps — though

?

—

is

a very small

with any other.

It may be asked what is a tribe
would seem to be hardly necessary

order

is

diminutive parts in this

it

it

should be said that an

frequently divided into tribes, these being merely assem-

blages of genera, the genera consisting of species, the species in


INTRODUCTORY.

io

some cases being further marked off into varieties, which some
consider valid and some do not, while others hold that several
such varieties are permanent and distinct enough in their
characters to be of specific rank.
Hence there is no generally
accepted list of British grasses. Bentham, for instance, has
101 species, Babington 127.

we have followed Bentham, for the following
much better for anyone to compare specimens with

In this book

reason.

It is

actual plants, and the most accessible collection of our native
grasses

is

in

one of the swing cases in the Botanical Gallery at the

Museum

Natural History
at

any time can

this,

as in

at South Kensington,

which anyone

see without having to ask for permission.

many

In

other collections, the plants are arranged in

Bentham's way, with Bentham's descriptions affixed, and the
advantage to the beginner of following the same system with the
specimens available was too obvious to be disregarded.
In one small matter we have not followed Bentham or others,
and that is in the spelling of some of the specific names with a
capital.
Throughout we have used a capital on y for genera, as is
now the custom in zoology, where the absence of the capital from
the beginning of a

name

proclaims at once

a species and not with a genus.

with a capital

is

The

we

are dealing with

spelling of specific

merely a printer's custom which

become

it is

names

time should

as obsolete in botany as in the sister natural science.
Attempts have been made to identify our grasses by their
vegetative characters alone, but though some can be recognised
in that way, many cannot
and owing to these exceptions the
attempt has failed in every scheme we have tried.
We may
know a few grasses, but we cannot fit our knowledge into a key
that will serve for the group.
We may, however, help on the
attainment of this very desirable object by making our descriptions of such characters as full as possible, and that we have
;

done

in

our seventh chapter.


CHAPTER

II.

LIST OF BRITISH GRASSES.

Plate

I.
1.

Cut Grass.
Leersia oryzoides.

Syn.; Homalocenchrus oryzoides.
2.

Spreading Millet.
Milium effusum.

Plate

II.

3.

Finger Grass:
Panicum sanguinale.
Syn.

4.

:

Digitaria humifusa.

Rough Bristle Grass.
Panicum
Syn.

Plate

Digitaria sanguinalis.

Glabrous Finger Grass.
Panicum glabrum.
Syn.

5.

:

:

verticillatum.

Setaria verticillata.

III.

6.

Glaucous Bristle Grass.
Panicum glaucum.
Syn.

7.

:

Panicum
Syn,
8.

Setaria glauca.

Green Bristle Grass.
:

viride.

Setaria viridis.

Cockspur.

Panicum

Syn.

;

crus-galli.

Echinochloa
ii

crus-galli.


.

LIST OF BRITISH GRASSES.
Plate IV.
9.

Northern Holy Grass.
Hierochloa borealis.

10.

11.

Vernal Grass.
Anthoxanthum odoratum.
Canary Grass.
Phalaris canariensis.

12.

Reed Grass.
Digraphis arundinacea.
Syn.

:

Phalaris arundinacea

Plate V.
13.

Timothy.

Phleum
H.

pratense.

Alpine Cat's-tail.
Phleum alpinum.

Plate VI.
15.

16.

Purple-stalked Cat's-tail.
Phleum boehmeri.

Rough

Cat's-tail.

Phleum asperum.
17.

Seaside Cat's-tail.

Phleum arenarium.
Plate VII.
18.

Slender Foxtail.
Alopecurus agrcstis.

19.

Meadow

Foxtail.

Alopecurus pratensis.
20.

Marsh Foxtail.
Alopecurus geniculatus

21.

Alpine Foxtail.
Alopecurus alpinus.


LIST OF BRITISH GRASSES.
Plate VIII

.

22.

Knappia.
Mibora verna.

23.

Hare's-tail.

Lagurus ovatus.

24

Annual Beard Grass.
Polypogon monspeliensis.

25.

Perennial Beard Grass.
Polypogon

littoralis.

Plate IX.
26.

Fiorin.
Agrostis alba.

27.

Bent Grass.
Agrostis canina.

28.

Bristle Bent.
Agrostis setacea.

29.

Silky Bent.
Agrostis spica-venti.

Syn.

Apera spica-venti.

:

Plate X.
30.

Nit Grass.
Gastridium lendigerum.
Syn.

31.

:

Gastridium australe.

Marram.

Psamma
Syn.

:

arenaria.

Ammophila

arenaria.

Plate XI.
32.

Wood

Smallreed.

Calamagrostis epigeios.
Syn.

33

:

Arundo

epigejos.

Purple Smallreed.
Calamagrostis lanceolata.
Syn.

:

Arundo calamagrostis.

13


—
LIST OF BRITISH GRASSES.

14

Plate

XL

(continued).

Narrow Smallreed.

34.

Calamagrostis stricta.
Syn.

Arundo

:

stricta.

Meagre Smallreed.

35.

Calamagrostis strigosa.
Syn.

Arundo

:

strigosa.

Plate XII.

Tufted Hair Grass.

36.

Aira caespitosa,

Wavy Hair

37.

Grass.

Aira flexuosa,
Plate XIIL
38.

Grey Hair Grass.
Aira canescens.
Syn,

:

Weingaertneria canescens.

Corynephorus canescens.
39.

Early Hair Grass.
Aira praecox,

40.

Hair Grass.
Aira caryophyllea.

Plate XIV.
41.

Wild Oat.
Avena

fatua.

42.

Perennial Oat.
Avena pratensis.

43.

Yellow Oat.
Avena navescens.
Syn.

:

Trisetum pra tense.


LIST OF BRITISH GRASSES.
Plate XV.
44.

False Oat.
Arrhenatherum avenaceum,

45.

Woolly Soft

Grass.

Holcus lanatus.
46.

Soft Grass.
Holcus mollis,

47.

Dog's-tooth,

Cynodon dactylon,
Syn<

Capriola dactylon

:

Plate XVI.
48.

Cord Grass.
Spartina stricta,

49.

Hard

Grass,

Lepturus incurvatus,
50.

Mat

Grass,

Nardus
51.

Lyme

stricta,

Grass,

Elymus

arenarius,

Plate XVII.
52.

Wood

Barley,

Hordeum
53.

Meadow Barley.
Hordeum

54.

sylvaticum,

pratense.

Wall Barley,
Hordeum murinum,

55.

Squirrel-tail.

Hordeum maritimum.

15


[LIST

t6

OF BRITISH GRASSES.

Plate XVIII.
56.

Couch.

Agropyrum
Syn.
57.

Triticum repens.

Bearded Wheat Grass.
Agropyrum caninum.
Syn.

»

58.

:

repens.

Rye

:

Triticum caninum.

Grass.

Lolium perenne,
59.

Darnel.
Lolium temulentum.

Plate XIX.
60.

61.

Slender False Brome.
Brachypodium sylvaticum.

Heath False Brome.
Brachypodium pinnatum.

Plate XX.
62.

Upright Brome.
Bromus erectus.

63.

Hairy Brome.
Bromus asper.
Syn. : Bromus ramosus.

64.

Barren Brome.
Bromus sterilis.

65.

Great Brome.
Bromus maximus.

Plate XXI.
66.

Compact Brome.
Bromus madritensis.

67.

Field Brome,

Bromus
Syn.

arvensis.
:

Serrafalcus arvensis.