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Show 210 The Hijlory of P L A N T S. 2 , .llvena panicula laxa, calyci!Jus trijloris brevibus,jloribus omnibus ~riflatis. 7'he lax-panicled Oat, with three flowers in a cup, all of them criflated. The root of this fpecies confifts of a few' fibres : ~he ftalk rifes to two feet in hei ht and is flender, geniculated, and fomewhat ha1ry. The leaves are narrow, fi g 'fi · h ve or 1x me es 1o ng, an d ha'1ry on both fides· · The. top o. f, the ftal1k fuppobr ts· a flf1i ort panicle, of a yell?wifl1 colour, di!fufe, but not bend1ng; Its fevera parts emg up-ported on very rig.td and firm pedicles. . It is common, m our meadows and pafiures, I.n Jun~. Ray calls it, Oramen avena-: ceum pratenfe elatius, panicula flavefcente locu{hs parvis. 3. Avena calycibtis bijloris, Jl.ofculo bermaphrodit~ muti~o, mafculo arijlato. Tbe Avena with two flowers in the calyx, and wtth arijlated male flowers, and naked hermaphrodite ones. The root of this fpecies confHl:s of a long · f~ries or firing of bulbs, or tuberous bodies, laid one over another, and furnia1ed with a great number of fibres_; the t~ !l:e is flightly acid: from this arife ten or twelve leav~s, moderately broad, but not hai.ry, though rough, if the hand be drawn from the pomt to~a:d the bafe. The ~alk n fes to three feet, or more, in height, and has four or five JOints, ~t each of whtch there ftands a fi.ngle le~f, which forms ~ v~gi~a rou~.d it, reachmg almofi:. up lo the next joint; when It feparates from th1s, 1t IS four mche: long, and ve~y bt oa~. The top of the fialk fupports a panicle fix inches long, and dtffufe: the ped1cles wh1ch fupport it are flender, and the fpiculx are often nutant, 6ften all. turned to one fid e. The glumes are very beautiful, of a mixt purpli~ and iilvery white. . We have this fpecies among corn, and m our fields and hedges. C. Bauhme calls it, Gramen nodolum avenacea panicula; J . Bauhine, Gramen nodofqrn ; Gera.rd, Gramen caninum nodofum. A RUN D 0. T HE calyx of the Arundo is a glume, formed of two oblong, acuminated valves; not ariftated, one longer than the other; it is ereCt, and contains, in fame fpecies, one; in others, feveral flowers, The corolla is formed of two valves; they are of the length of the cup, of an oblong, acuminated figure, and have, at their bafe, a lanuginous matter, of the length of the flower. The fiamina are three capillary filaments : ~he antherm are bifurcated at each end : the germen of the pi!l:il is oblong: the fiyles are two; they are capillary, reflex, and hairy ~ the fiigmata are fimple: the corolla ' • adheres to the feed, and ferves as a pericarpiurn :. the feed is fingle, oblong, pointed, and downy at the bafe. t. Arundo panicula laxa, jlofculis quint's. 'Ibe lax-panicled Reed, with Jive flowers in a cup. <!Conunon 11\tt + The ropt of this fpecies is creeping; it is long, thick, contorted, and knotty, of a whitilh colour, with fome caft of red ; it is very hard and woody, and fpreads a long way under the ground: it's young fhoots are fwcet and efculcnt. The !lalk is fix or feven feet high, of the thickne{s of a man's liule finger, jointed and hollow : fi·orn every joint of the fJalk grows a finglc leaf, which furrounds it at it's bafe, and grows from it to a foot, or more, in length, and is !l:riatcd, about two inches in breadth, and rigid to the toucb. At the top of ~he fhllk !l:ands a beautiful, large, diffufe, purpliili panicle, which, by degrees, becomes mot c and more pappofe, or downy, and of a paler colour, and finally is of a greyifl1-brown. It is com ofcd of a multitude of parts, and thofe affixed to flendcr pedicles, fo that it plays about in a beautiful manner in the wind. This fpecies is common about ponds, ditches, and rive rs, Authors call it, Arundo vulgaris, Arundo vallatoria, and Phragmites. ,2. Arund~ The H ij}ory of P L A N T· S. 2IE 2. Aru?zdo culmo ramofl. Tl.>e branchec(-.ftalked A rundo. ., ' The root of tl i fpecies is compofed of a great number of fhort, but thick, fibres : from this rife ltn or twelve leaves, hard and rigid to the touch, .five or fix inches long, and' frriated, narrow, and terminating in a fharp point. In the midtl: of thefe rifes a ltalk, two feet, or more, in height, firm, rigid, and dry ; it has about three joints, and at each a leaf, like the radical ones, but fur rounding the fl alk a great way at it's bafe. At the top ilands a panicle, large, diffufe, and compofed of long fpikes, of a purpli{h colour at fi rfi, but growing downy, white, and f11ining, as they ripen. . , T his fpecies is not frequent in England ; I met with it, 1Jowever, in the borders of fome corn-fields about Wafhingley. C. Bauhine calls ir, Gramen arundinaceum panicula fpadicea mol!i majus ; others, Gram en tomcntofum. 3· A rundo foliorum lateri!Jus convolutis, acumine pungente. The rounded-leaved Arundo, with pungent points. The root of th is fpecies coniifl:s of a clufter of fibres: fi'om th is dfe ten or a dozen leaves, a foot and a half in length, and about a third of an inch in bre<tdth at firf1, but their fides foon curl in, and render them very _narrow and rounded, but D1arp at the end. Among thefe rifes a fialk, fcarce fo high as the leaves, and compofed of two or three joints; at every joint fiands a leaf, like thofe at the root, but lhorter, and furrounding the ftalk a little at the bafe. At the top ilands a panicle, four inches long, and not half an inch wide, refe rnbling a fp ike ; it is fmallefi at the ends, and fomewhat thickefi in the middle. This fpccies is common on our fea-coa!l:s, where it's leaves prick people's legs, and will fetch blood. C. Bauhine calls it, Gramen fparteum fpicatum foliis mucronatis lon·gioribus ; and Scbeuk~er, Gramen fparteum fpicatum maritimum fpica Jongiore. L 0 L I U M. T H E calyx of the Lolium is a glume, containing feveral flowers, and confi!l:ing of a fi ngle valve, oblong, linear, acuminated, fomewhat rigid, and containing the flowers, arranged in dillichous fpikes, placed clofe to the fl alks. The corolla confifl.s of two valves ; the lower is narrow, lanceolated, con voluted, acuminated, and of the length of the cup; the other is D10rt, linear, obtufe, and hollowed upwards. The /lamina are three capillary filaments, fl1orter than the flower: the anthera'! are oblong: the germen of the pifl:il is turbinated: the ilylcs are two, capillary and reflex : the iligmata are plumofe : there is no pericarpium. The corolla inclofes the feed, which is fingle, oblong> compreifed, convex on one fide, and plane and (ulcated in the middle on the other. This gen us comp rehends the Lolium and Loliacea of Scheuckzer and others. T he fpikes are always feilile, and placed in the fame plane with the Halk, fo that the !l:alk itfelf performs the office of the oppofite and deficient valve of the glume. 1. Lolium .fpicis ariflatis, radice annua. The arijlated-Jpiked Lolium, with an annual rooi. <It!bitc· ~ rnrl. The root of this fpecies confifis of a multitude of .fibres, with numerous capilbmcn rs iffuing from them. From this rifes a clufier of leaves, confide rably long, narrow, and of a fl1ining green colour, fomewhat thick and iharp at the points : among thefe rife the fi alk, which is two or three feet high, much refembl ing the !l:alk of wheat, but that it is thinner: it has four or five joints, and, at every joint, a leaf, like thofe at the bottom, but fi11aller and fi10rter ; thefe furround the £l:alk from the joint they arifc at, alm6ll: to the next, and term inate in a point. T he fialk terminates iu a fJ)ike of a foot in length, though but very narrow and flat, formed of' alternate glumes, on the two oppofite fides of the fialk. This fpecies is very common jn our corn-fields. , C. Bauhinc calls it, Gramen loliaceum fpic c1 lon t,iorc; o hers, L ol ium vulgare, and Lolium album. ,., Lolittm |
