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Show The Hijlory of P L A N T S. 204 Th · s {, ecies is frequent in fome parts of Europe, but we have .it not in England . c. Ba~bi~e calls it, Gramen nemorofum paniculis ~lbis, capi.llace? foho; .and Scheuk~er, Gramen Alpinum nemorofum paniculatum, folus angufbffimts locufh~ fplendentlbus ariftatis. 2. Aira panicula rara, calycibus Jufcis. Tbe loofe-panicled Aira,. with brow1t cups. The root of this fpecies is compofed of a multitude of fmall white fibres ; from this row a clufier of twenty, or more, leaves, five or fix mches long, extreamly narrow, ~nd fomewhat rounded; among thefe rife three or four fialks ; they are very flender, d to five fix or eight inches high · on every !l:alk there ftand two, three, or afonu r gleraovwes , very n, arro' w, and of a du~y gr' een; and at t h e top a 1o o (Ie pam•c .1e , com-paCed of [mall fuining cups, of a purphlh colour toward the bafe, and paler m the o-ther parts, and colleCted together in form of a ~pi~e. . This is found in the woods in Germany, but 1~ JS not co~mo~ m ~nglan~. Scheuc~- zer calls it, Gramen avenace~m panic~lat~m Alpmum~ folus captllacets brev1bus locufi1s purpuro-argenteis, fplendenttbus, et anfiaus. . 3 • Aira Joliis pubefcentibus, ~anicula. contraEia, .flofc~lo hermophrodito mutico, mafculo arijla unetnata calyce brevtore. The Joft, hoary-leaved Aira, with male flowers armed with jhort arijlce, and female without any. The root of this fpecies is compofed of a number of large white fibres, which fpread themfelves every way under the. furface .. Fro~n this grow fix or eight leaves, fix inches, or more, in length, about a thtrd of an mch m breadth, very foft to the touch, and covered with a fine, lhort, foft hoarinels. Amoog thele rifes a fialk. of a foot and half, or more, in height; round, hollow, ~ender, and jointed : at e~ery joint fiands a fingle leaf, which furrounds th<: ftalk at It's bale, and grows from It .to four or five inches in length : both the fialk Itfelf, and thefe leaves, are covered wtth the fame white, hoary m~tter, with the ~ower leaves. At the top fiands .a pa~i!;:le. of a whitifh, or pale reddtlh, colour, an mch and half long, and half an mch m dtame-ter, (oft to the touch, like the ref\: of the plant. This fpecies is extreamly common with us every-where, in meadows and pafiures. Dalechampe calls it, Gramen lanatum. C. Bauhine, Gramep prateofe paniculatum molle ; and Van Royen, Aira flofculo mafculo arifiato, freminino mutico. P 0 A. T H E calyx of t.he Poa i; a glume, containing feveral flowers! arranged into a double or dilhchous fp1ke, of an oblong, oval figure. It IS formed of two valves, of an ovato-acuminated figure, and without awns. The corolla is compofed of two valves, of an ovato-acumina~ed figure, hollow, comprefi'ed, and fomewhat longer than the cup, and without awns. The fiamina are three capillary filaments; the antherre are bifurcated. The germen of the pifiil is roundilh : the fiyles are two J they are reflex _and hairy, as are alfo the fiigmata. !h~ corolla fupplies the place of a pericaq)ium ; 1t adheres every way to the feed, whtch lS fingle, of an oblong figure, compreffed, and pointed at each end. 1. Poa panicula diffufa,Jpiculis trifloris glabris, culmo ereElo tereti. The ereEl Poa, with Jmooth, diffufe, triflorous Jpiculce. <!I5r~at ~t~ noru <l!5taf.s. The root of this fpecies confifis of a great number of capillary, whiti£b fibres, varioufiy entangled one with another; from thele arife a large clufier of leaves, _fix or eight inches long, and a quarter of an inch broad. The ftalk riles from the m1dil: of thefe; it grows to about a foot and half in height, and is fmooth, green, hollow, ~nd jointed in three or four places. At every joint ftands a leaf, whofe bafe makes a vagt~a, furroundmg The Hijlory of P IL A N T S, 205 furrounding the fialk for three inches, fometimes much lefs From th's 't three or four inches long, and is of the fame breadth with th; radicalleav~s 1 ~ow~ to ed at the end. At the top of the fialk. fl:ands a panicle diffufed every w;a an bptomt.:. . ' · · · h ' y, u not droopmg; 1t JS two me es, or. more, in length, an inch and half in diameter, and of a pale green colour. The panxcle often has eight pair of peduncles each fu · feveral flowers. ' pportmg This ~pecies is extreamly common in our. meadows. .Theophrafius calls it, p C. Bauhme, and others, Gramen pratenfe panxculatum maJuS latiore folio. oa. 2. Poa panicula diffzifa, angulis reElis,fpiculis obtujis, culmo obliquo comprejfo. Qt:omnton @ta::: The di./fufe-panicled Poa, with an o6lique, comllolb <!Vrars. prejfed .flalk. T~is is the mofi com~on of all the grafi'es with us, and makes principally the green covenng of moil of ou: fields and meado':s. It's root is compofed of a multitude of long, flender fibres, wh~ch penetrate deep toto the earth, and ufually grow together in vafi tufts; from the_fe anfe leaves long, narrow, and of a beautiful green, in vaft numbers.. T.he ftalks nfe among t~~fe~ and are fcarce ereet, ufually oblique ; they are fix or ~tght mches l~~g, of a wh1t1fh colour, round and jointed, and have fhort, diffufe pamcles, of a wh1tlfh colour on their extremities . This f~ecies is called by Ray, Gram en pratenfe minus et vulgatiffimum. c. Bauhme calls. It, Gramen pratenfe paniculatum minus. B R I Z A. THE cal~x of the Briza is a bivalve glume, patent, and containing feveral flow• ers, which are arranged into a difiichous fpike, of. a cordated figure. The two valves are c~rdated, hollow; and equal: the corolla is compofed of two valves. The lower.valve IS of the fize and fhape of the cup: the upper valve is fmall, plane and round1f11, and !huts up the hollow of the other. The fiamina are three capillary filaments ; the anthe:re are oblong. The germen of the pifiil is roundilh; the fiyles are two; they are ca~1llar~ and ~rooked : the fiigmata are plumofe. The corolla ferves in the p~ace of a pencarpmm, mclofing the feed, and, when ripe, dropping it out. The feed 1: fingle, very fmall, roundifh, and comprefi'ed. Th1s genus comprehends the Tremula of Scheukzer, and the Phalaroides of others. r · Briza .fpiculis ovatis, calyce jlofculis brevi ore. The Briza, with jhort fpiculce, and the cup jhorter than tbe flower. <!otnnton ll!lua~ king <!Dtafs. The r?o~. of this fpecies is compofed o~ a few fhort, greyiili, or brownilh, fibres. From this ufes a clufier of ten or twelve lmle leaves; they are three inches long and moderately broad; among thefe rifes up fometimes a fingle fialk, but more ufually there ~re two, three, or more. The plant grows to eight or ten inches high . the fial~ IS round, a~1d ~ommonly has two)oints ; at each of thefe fiands a fingle' leaf, w?•ch furrounds It, 111 manner of a. vagma, for a long way at it's bafe, and from thts grows loo(e to tl:e leng_th of a.n mch or two, and is narrow, rigid, and pointed. The top of the fialk IS furmlhed wtth a number of large and beautiful glumes, fupported on l01~g and extreamly flender peduncles, fo that 'the leaft breath of air fets them a t 1 rembhng. They are at firfr of a greenilh, afterwards often of a brownifh-red co our. , e!his fpecie~ is common i.n our meadows and pafiures. C. Bauhine calls it, Gramen tf ulum ~aJUS. .J. .Bauhme, Gramen tremulum. Morifon, Gramen tremulum vulgare locu{bs rotundwnbus. rhis is the grafs, the piftil of which is defcribed in the Philolophical Tranfaetions ur er the name of a plant in Semine. It's germen is called the bulbous root of th; Pant. The author of the paper is Mr Baker. Ggg 2. Briza |