I e s t t j c a E latior. T all F escue G rass.
■ ^ ttfSTÜCA Linn.Gen.pl. T riaNdria D igynia. . j , , .
™ Cal. 2 valvis. Spicula oblonga, teretiufcula, glumis acummatis.
Raii Syn. Gen. 27. H er bæ g r am in ifo l iæ f lo r e im p e r f e c to c u lm if e r /E;
FESTÜCA elatior panicula decompofita, primo nutante, florente fubereCla, fpiculis ovatd-lanceolatis
acutis muticis, foliis planis. , ,
FF STUC A elatior panicula fecunda ere&a, fpiculis fyibariftatis, exterioribus teretibus. Linn. Syfl.
Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. I18. Sp. PI. p. m . var. ß. ; Sehr eb. Gram. t. 2. p. 34.
POA foliis latis afperis, locuftis teretibus muticis, glumarum oris membranaceis. Hall. Hiß. n. 1451.
FFSTü CA elat'i'or panicula fecunda ereCta ramofa, ramis binatis, fpiculis ovatis fubariftatis, foliis planis.
Hudf. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 4^*
PRAMEN arundinaceum aquaticum panicula avenacea. Raii Syn. ed. 3. ^.411. 14.
GRAMEN paniculatum nemorofum latiore folio glabrum, panicula nutante, non ariftata. Rail Syn*
p. 411. 15. . ‘
GRAMEN arundinaceum locuftis viridi fpadiceis loliaceis, brevius ariftatis. Scheuch. Agroft. p. 266.
GRAMEN " loliaceum fpica divifa pratenfe majus. Monf. Hiß. Ox. 111. 184. t. 2. f . 15.
|X perennis, fibris numerofis, fufeis, ramoliflimis,
J fubvïllofis. ' . . . I
lMI bi-tripedales et ultra m pingui lolo, erefcti,
■ teretes, glabri, nodofi, ad bafin plerumque •
purpurei. .
înferiora pedalia, aut fefquipedalia, très <
quaterve lineas, lata, fenfim acuminata, fu- '
perne et ad margines fcabriufcula, ftriata,
interne carinata, nitidula, amplexicaulia, bafi j
ipfa e flavo virefeente ; membrana breviflima
truncata, caulina breviora ; Vagince ftriatæ,
læves.
P
ROOT "perennial, fumifhed with numerous brown
fibres, much branched, and flightly villous.
STALKS from two to three feet high, or more in a
rich foil, upright, round, fmooth, jointed*
ufually purple at the bafe.
LEAVES towards th’ e root, a foot or a foot and a half
long, and three or four lines broad, gradually
tapering to a point, above and on the edges
roughim, ftriated, on the under fide keeled,
a little gloffy, embracing the ftalk, the very
bafe of a yellowifh green colour; membrane
very ftiort and truncated, leaves of the ftalk
fhorter; Sheaths ftriated and fmooth.
PANICLE from a fpan to a foot in length, at firft for
the molt part drooping, becoming afterwards
nearly upright; Branches generally growing
in pairs, unequal, for the moft part fubdividea
into fmaller ones, tumid at the bafe; Rachis
angular, crooked, roughifh, gloffy..
SPICULAL ovato-lanceolate, roundifh, variegated with
green and purple, containing about eight
. flowers, fqmetimes without, Jig. 2. fometimes
nutans, poftea fubereCta; Rami plerumque >
binati, inaequales, in rämulos plerumque fub- j
divifi, ad bafin tumidi; Rachis angulofus, 3
flexuofus/fcabriufculus, nitidus. r
B uL^E ovato-lanceolatae, teretiufculae, viridi et (
purpureo variegatae, fuboCtofloras, nunc mu- (
ticae, fig, 2. nunc brevius ariftatae, fig. 1. •
1 •- having ftiort awns, Jig, 1.
B iCULA fpithamzea, aut pedalis, primo plerumque
CALYX* GlumaMwAvis,valvis inaequalibus,acuminatis, a CA L YX : a Glume of two valves, which are unequal
'fir. o. a and taper to a point, Jig. 3.
'COROLLA bivalvis, valvis fubamualibus acutis, ex- COROLL A compofed o f two valves, the valves nearly
equal, pointed, the outermoft larger and a
little longer than the other, ‘ fig. 4. the inner
one often bifid, fig. 5.
STAMINA: three capillary Filaments ; A nti-ier/E'
linear and yellow, magnified, fig. 6.
PISTILLUM: G ermen inverfely ovate, fmooth;
' Styles two, fpreading, feathery, fig . 7, 8.
NECTARY two fmall Glumes at the bafe of the germen,
-ovate with a long point, ufually fumifhed on
the fide with a long (lender tooth, fig. 9.
teriore maj ore, et paulo longiore, fig. 4. in- \
teriore faepe bifida, fig. 5. §
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria; A n th er s |
[ • lineares, flavae, auCl. fig. 6.' A
B t ILLUM: G ermen obovatum, laeve; S t y li a
duo, patentes, plumofi, fig. 7, 8. q
IK$CTARIUM : Glumulce duae, ad bafin germinis., q
[ ovato -acuminatae, denticulo laterali acuminato §
[ plerumque inftruftae, fig. 9. §
t The three Graffes figured in the prefent number, differ fo materially in their ufual appearance, when growing
will, that from the firft we have been induced to confider them as diftinCl fpecies; that we might however profit
bmhe light which cultivation in numerous inftances throws on fpecies and varieties, we brought them into, our
Blen. and after cultivating them many years in different foils and fituations, find ourfelves juttmed m the idea
B in a l ly entertained. _ i 1 rr a
|ie firft of thefe, the Fefiuca elatior, is the leaft common of the three, and with us the moft local, affecting
^Sfound chiefly in wet fituations, as on the edges of the rivulets proceeding from the Thames, in the ofier
lgi|unds adjoining it, and more rarely in moift meadows and woods: we have obferved it this/year 1791, in
plenty in an ofier-ground adjoining the Thames, nearly oppofite the phyfic-garden, Ghelfea; R ay
Bunions it as having been found by Mr. Doody, between London and Chelfea: it grows m large tufts, and is
^Biered confpicuous by the breadth of its leaves, the height of its ftems, and the drooping of its panicle, at
P® before it flowers. .
B h e ftudent muft be careful not to miftake it for the Bromus hirfutus and giganteus already figured in this
||f|rk, and which have fome affinity to it at leaft in point of fize.
In open meadows, being in every refpeCf fmaller, it is not fo diftinguifhable.
■ I flowers about the latter end of June and beginning of July. i j r -i
e find it to be a hardy, perennial, and very productive grafs, and that it will grow on moderately dry foils
than might be expedtedT; we apprehend however that it is too harfh and coarle, either for hay or pafture.
[ "«^commena it neverthelefs to the notice of the Agriculturift; it probably may prove a good graft for foils
| vSich cannot be drained of their too great moifture, or which are apt to be overflown.
I f n very luxuriant foots th e le a v es w ill fometimes b e fo u n d h a l f an in ch w ide , as V a i l l a n t d e fen be s i t ; m
Bpetal, fize excepted, w e d ife o v e r v e r y lit t le v a r ia tio n in the h ab it o r ch arafte rs of this g r a f t : in re g a rd to
m afia, indeed, i t varies as moft o the r graffes are o b fe rv ed to d o . .. . . .
We have found it for the moft part beardlefs, fome authors deferibe it with, others without an Anita, via.
Pa s " ^-'aP*-a''n Dorset, who has bellowed great attention on the Britifh Graffes, fent me a fpecimen this
| y f , gathered near Woolwich, the flowers of which were all fhortly bearded.
Unfortunately-for the fcience,
| . On the awn there's rio reliance.-
^5 have frequently noticed it in thole graffes, which, according to their character, fhould not have it, and
^ B tlnS where it ought to have been ; this fummer in* particular, I obferved a plant of the Avena elatior without
I H i lj|e Angularity of which prompted me to remove its root to my garden,
hgure reprefents the Fefiuca elatior juft coming into bloom.