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Show 208 'lbe Hiflory of P L A N T S. 2. Bromus panicula d.if!ufo, fpiculis teretibus. The diffttje-panicled Bromus, ·with rounded /pikes. The root of this fpecies is compofed of a great number of white, and fomewhat thick, :fibres. From this rife eight or ten leaves, a foot, or more, in length, and about a third of an inch in breadth; thefe wither, foon after the fialk appears. The fialk grows to three feet, or more, in height, and has ufually four joints, with a fingle leaf at each, furrounding them at the bafe, in the manner of the vagina: while they furround the fialk, they are !l:riated, and hairy; afterwards, they are almoft fmooth, and grow to a foot in length. The top of the ftalk is terminated by a a diffufe panicle, . compofed of fmall, rounded fpikes, hung on very long pedicles. The leaves are of a pale yellowilhgreen, the panicle of a pale-brown. Ray calls this fpecies, Gramen avenaceum dumetorum panicula fparfa; C. Bauhine, Feftuca graminea latifolia mollis. 3· Bromus paniculce ramis conjugato-binatis. The Bromus, with conjugate-double branches in the panicle. The root of this fpecies is a tuft of white :fibres: from this rife fix or eight leaves eight inches long, a third of an inch broad, and firiated ; among thefe rifes the ftalk ~ it grows to a foot and a half high, and has four or :five joints, at each of which there ftands a fingle leaf: this is a foot long, and more than a third of an inch broad ; it furrounds the ftalk at the bafe, and is not at all hairy. At the top of the ftalk fiands a lax panicle, compofed of conjugate, little fpikes, with very long and capillary arifta!. This fpecies is found about London. Ray calls it, Gramen avenaceum glabrum panicula e fpicis raris, firigofis, compofita, ariftis tenuiffimis. FE 8 T U C A. T HE calyx of the F~fiuca is a glume, containing feveral flowers. It is compofed of two valves, and IS er~a, and the flowers are arranged in it in a flender fpike : the valves are of an oblong lmear figure, acuminated, and without awns· the lower valve !s fmaller than the upper : the corolla confifl:s alfo of two valves; the lower val~e IS the la~ger '.and of the !hape. of the cup, and fomewhat exceeds it in fize; it is of a kmd of cylmdnc .figure, but pomted at the end, and is terminated by a ftrait arifia, or awn. The fiamma are three capillary filaments, !horter than the flower. The antherre are oblong; the g~rmen of the pifiil is turbinated: the :ftyles are two in number 0ort and reflex.= the ft!gmata are fimple; the corolla ferves in the place of a pericar~ p1~m, furroundmg ~nd mclofing the feed : the feed is fingle, of an oblong figure, very thm, yery !harp-pomted at each end, and marked with a longitudinal furrow. . _!'h1s genus comprehends the Feftuca of Dillenius, and the Bromoides of Scheukzer; 1t IS very nearly alhed to the laft ; the terminatory arifta is the great diftinction. I. F efluca panic.ula /p_ic.ata, n~tante, calycibus minutif- . Ji.mts mutzczs, florzbus fcabris. <!t:apon·.s::.Jrail The Jpzke-pamcled Fe.ftuca, with a bending head, and fca- <IDtaf.s>. brous flowers. . The root of this fpecies confifts of a number of fmall, reddi!h :fibres. From thefe anles h ad cluftder o{if f1m1 all leaves, .t wo o1· three inches 1'n length , ve ry narrow, pom· te d at t e en s, an u ua Y of a redd1!h, or browni!h, colour: among thefe rife two or three fialks fr?m each root; they are fix or eight inches long, very £lender and 'ointed . at every JOmt ftands a fingle leaf, furrounding the ftalk at it's bafe ' J ih · d pointed ; on the top of every ftalk there fiands a panicle in form, o~ar~~' fi or~, a~l long, not. half ari inch broad, and bending with it's oV:n weight . t~· p~ e,f JX me es or browm!h, colour. · IS IS o a green, The plant is common on old walls, and flowers in June and J 1 Ray calls it, Gramen murorum fpica longiffima,. others, Gramen al e~.n..- ~ruonurus . u Y· 2. Fejluca The Hi.flory .if P 'L A N T S. _ ~: Fejluca panicula ereEia, .fpiculis fubovatis muticis, calyce jlofculis majore. The ereEI-panicled Fejluca, with fubovate Jpi·kes, and the cups larger than the flowers. . ' The root of this fpecies is compofed of ? few :fibres: the leaves, which rife immediately from it, are ihort, fomewhat broad, and hairy. The fl:alks are a foot long, often lefs ; they are very weak, and do not :ftand erect, but ufually bend to the ground : they have three or four joints, and at each joint a fingle ihort leaf, incompaffing the fialk at the bafe. At the top !l:ands a fmall panicle, formed of oval, turgid, little fpikes and thofe fupported on rigid,, and not very long, pedicle!!, fo that they ftand fired and ereCt. . This fpecies is very frequent, in our meadows and pafiures, in Ju.ne. Ray calls it, Gramen avenaceum parvum, procumbens paniculis non ariftatis ; Scheuckzer, Gramen avenaceum montanum loc_ufiis muticis tumentibus pilofum. 3· fo/Juca fp,iculis viviparfs. The Fejluca with viviparous /pikes. 10~oitfetou.s £IDat <15raf5 • . The root ~f this fpecies confill:s only- ~( th.ree or f~ur 'ibort white fib res; from this rife ten or twelve leaves, very narrow, iliarp-pointed, and about four inches in length : among thefe th.ere comes up a il:alk, whish grows to about .ten inches high; it has three or four joints, and, at each, a iliort, pointed, leaf, furrounding the fialk at the bafe; at the top ftands a .ihort panicle, flender, and refembling a fpike. It is about an inch and a half long, a. third of an inch in diameter, and, before the feeds are ripe in it, there grow blades of grafs, or young plants, from almoft every flower. This is fi·equent on the Welch mountains; I alfo found it in Mr Apreece's park at Wa!hingley. Ray calls it, Gramen (picatum montanum, fpica foliacea graminea; Scheuckzer, Gramen fparteum Alpinum, panicula fpadiceo viridi uno plerumque verfu difpofita. · A V E N ·A. T H E calyx of the Avena is a glume, compofed of two valves, and containing feveral flower~, arranged laxly together; •the . valves are lanceolated, acute, and bellied, large, and without awns. The corolla confifts of two valves; the lower valve is of the fize of the cup, and harder, rounded, bellied, and pointed at each extremity; and, from it's back, there grows a fingle, crooked, and, as it were, jointed, contorted, arifia or awn. The nectaria are two; they are of an 'Ovated, lanceolate figure, and grow on the upper fide of the germen. The ftamina are three capillary :filaments: the antherre are oblong and bifurcated : the germen of the pifiil is obtufe: the fiyles are two, reflex and hairy : the ftigmata are fimple : the corolla ferves in the office of a pericarpium, _furrounding and inclofing the feed! w.hich is fingle, of an oblong figure, very 01arp-pomted at eac~1 end, and ha~ a longltudmal furrow. . The flowers in the cup are fometimes two, fometimes more, and there is one fpecies whofe calyx confifts of a fingle valve. The arifta at the back of the corolla, . which is jointed and intorted, confl:itutes the effential ch~racter. 1 , , This genus comprehends the Avena of Tournefort, &c. and the Avenacea of Scheuckzer, &c. . ' I. Avena calycibus difpermis, Jeminibus lcevibus. ' · 'Ihe Oat, with two Jmooth feeds in each calyx. I I I <!omtnon ![)rtt. The root of this fpecies confifl:s of a great number of fibres. The ftalks are round, and four feet high; they have each four or five joints, and have a graffy leaf or two at t?e bafe : at every joint there :ftands a fingle leaf, long and narrow, and forming a ~agma round the fialk at it's bottom. At the top of the fialk ftands a panicle, (omewhat hke that of the common reed, the flowers ftanding on loog pedicles. , This fpecies is fown in fields. C. Bauhine calls it, Avena vulgaris; J. Bauhine, Av~na alba: thefe, and fome other authors, erroneouily make another fpecies, f rom a vanety of this, which they call, Avena nigra. H h h 2. Avena |